საინფორმაციო სააგენტო ინტერპრესნიუსი

The European Union supports free and independent media in Georgia and any country in the world. Free and independent media is a prerequisite for a democratic system. It is up to the media to decide what it wants and what it doesn't want, what statement it will share and what it won't share, Paweł Herczyński, the ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, told journalists when he answered the question whether he thinks that his statement regarding the election banners of "Georgian Dream" was interference in the elections because after that three television stations refused to air the banners.

"The European Union supports free and independent media in Georgia and any country in the world. Free and independent media is a prerequisite for a democratic system. It is up to the media to decide what it wants and doesn't want, what statement it will share and what it won't. "I was asked by the media to express my opinion and I expressed it, and it is up to the free and independent media to decide what rules to follow," said the diplomat.

The ambassador was also asked a question regarding the statement of Kakha Kaladze, who criticized the ambassador's comment on the banners of "Georgian Dream" and said that "in all developed countries, those who did such a thing would be kicked out of the country immediately".

"I do not respond to the statements of others, this is not my role as an ambassador of the European Union. My role as an EU ambassador is to represent the EU's position. So right now, especially in the context of the ongoing election campaign, I'm sorry, but I can't comment on that statement, or any other statement. What I can say is that according to diplomatic practice, any country has the opportunity to ask a foreign diplomat to leave the country, and in recent months or years, unfortunately, we have had many such cases in the case of several other countries," the ambassador noted.