The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia responds to the May 2 statement of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We would like to echo the French Foreign Ministry’s statement on the reaction of law enforcement bodies to violent rallies. Georgia holds to the highest standards the right to freedom of expression and manifestation.

Although, violent groups affiliated with political opposition and financed from abroad attack state institutions and buildings and act against law enforcers, Georgian police act in line with high human rights standards if we do not take into account several regrettable incidents.

The MFA welcomes the French Foreign Ministry’s attention to the developments in Georgia but regrets that its statement lacks objectivity.

Also, we remind you that the Georgian authorities refrained from making a critical statement towards France even when the law enforcement officers in Paris confronted the protesters brutally and entirely incompatibly with universal standards of human rights.

Subjective assessments trigger violence carried out by violent groups affiliated with political opposition and financed from abroad”, - reads the statement of the MFA.

A representative of the French Foreign Ministry said on May 2 that “France was following the developments in Georgia with concern and condemned violence, calls on the Georgian authorities to protect the right to peaceful protests”.