Georgia’s ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said it is “regrettable” that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appointed Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, wanted by Tbilisi, as his adviser, but it’s “not tragic” and Georgia should react on it with “understanding” and keep in mind that Ukraine is “our friendly state”, which needs help.

“It is regrettable; I would express regret over it,” Ivanishvili said in an interview with Tbilisi-based Palitra media outlet.

“Prosecutor’s office [in Georgia] has filed several criminal charges against him and the friendly state [Ukraine] should of course react on it; even more so about Adeishvili against whom there is [Interpol] red notice,” Ivanishvili said referring to Georgia’s ex-justice minister, Zurab Adeishvili, who, although has no official post in Ukrainian government, is informally advising Ukrainian authorities, according to former Georgian officials now working in Ukraine.

“Of course it is regrettable, but we should not make a tragedy out of it; it’s not tragic, although there is nothing good in it either,” Ivanishvili said.

“Ukraine is our friendly state and in no way we should cause doubts that it may change. We should do everything in order to deepen [ties] and help our friendly state [Ukraine], because it is now in a worse situation than we are; the country is in the state of war and we should take it [appointment of Saakashvili] with understanding as much as possible, although it is very alarming for me and regrettable, but we should react with understanding,” Georgia’s ex-PM said.
 
He said it should be a source of concern because Saakashvili’s advices to “friendly” Ukraine might be “dangerous” for Kiev and added that “Saakashvili’s mistakes contributed largely to the tragedy that we had in 2008”, referring to war with Russia.

“When this man is recruited as an adviser in Ukraine of course it is very dangerous,” Ivanishvili said.