Ukraine wants to use Saakashvili's international experience - ambassador
TBILISI. Feb 16 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government wants to use former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's experience in international politics, Ukrainian Ambassador to Georgia Vasyl Tsybenko told the media after a meeting at the Georgian Foreign Ministry.
He said Saakashvili's appointment as head of the Ukrainian presidential council for reform would hopefully not spoil relations between Tbilisi and Kyiv.
"Mikheil Saakashvili's appointment as President Petro Poroshenko's non-staff advisor is not aimed against Georgia or the Georgian people, and will not obstruct the bilateral relations that we have had for centuries," the Ukrainian ambassador said.
But he said that Ukraine would study the Georgian leadership's position on Saakashvili's appointment.
Tsybenko said he had not been summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry in connection with Saakashvili's appointments, but was invited to discuss bilateral relations.
Media reported earlier that Tsybenko had been summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry to provide explanations about former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's appointment as chief of the Ukrainian presidential advisors council.
Saakashvili was declared wanted by the Georgian Prosecutor General's Office on several counts. The Prosecutor General's Office told the media recently that it was expecting Interpol to meet its Red Notice request for Saakashvili.
Meanwhile, Georgian media reported on Saturday, citing Saakashvili's defense attorney Otar Kakhidze, that President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, U.S. Congressman Mike Turner had urged Interpol to reject the request filed by the Georgian Prosecutor General's Office.
Kakhidze also said that Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, had referred a similar letter to Interpol.