Georgia | PM calls Pres. Zourabichvili to step down in December - video Dailymotion

teleSUR English

*Law enforcement officers violently repress demonstrators in Georgia. *China government condems new U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. teleSUR

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00:00In the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, the police repressed demonstrators.

00:04The law enforcement officers violently prevented the crowd from storming parliament.

00:08Demonstrators are outraged by the government's decision to freeze EU accession negotiations

00:12until 2028.

00:13In this context, the officers used water cannons to chase the crowd away from the government

00:17building, while protesters put up resistance and threw firecrackers at the police, the

00:22officials remaining in parliament.

00:24After clashes between protesters and security units, special forces intervened and took

00:29control of the area.

00:35And Georgia's executive cabinet announced that the country's president must step down

00:39from public office.

00:40Prime Minister Irakli Kovacic said that President Salome Zurabishvili has until December 29

00:46to hand over the official building to the new president, elected during the October

00:5026 elections.

00:51However, the president expressed that she would not resign from her position since she

00:56does not recognize the legitimacy of the newly elected parliament.

01:00Zurabishvili stated that she plans to remain in office until the new elections despite

01:04the fact that her term of office ends this December.

01:08This comes in the midst of protests against the government's decision to freeze until

01:122028 negotiations for EU memberships.

01:19I must also emphasize that each and every citizen of Georgia is precious to us, and

01:25to me personally, especially those citizens who have been misled and are sincerely protesting

01:30against something that has not actually occurred.

01:33Once again, I want to assure everyone that Georgia's European integration has not been

01:37halted.

01:38The only thing we have rejected is the shameful and offensive blackmail, which was, in fact,

01:43a significant obstacle to our country's European integration.

01:47The Prime Minister also assured that he will wait for the US President-elect Donald Trump

01:53to take office in order to discuss various issues.

01:59You can see that the outgoing US administration is trying to leave the new administration,

02:03the Trump administration with a specially difficult legacy.

02:08They are doing this regarding Ukraine, and now also concerning Georgia.

02:15But this will not have any fundamental significance.

02:19We will wait for the new administration and discuss everything with them.

02:23Accordingly, this is as temporary phenomenon as Salome Zurabishvili.

02:30In other news, a Chinese government has condemned the approval of a US arms sale to Taiwan and

02:35rejected any official exchange between Washington and Taiwan.

02:38In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denounced that this new arms sale, an estimated

02:43value of $385 million, is a serious violation of the principle of one China and of the three

02:49joint communiques signed between the two countries.

02:52According to the communique, this action violates the sovereignty and security interests of

02:55China, damages bilateral relations, and endangers peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

03:00Therefore, China is demanding from the United States to honor its commitments and immediately

03:05call off the sale, meanwhile Beijing will be taking firm steps in order to counter these

03:11actions and to safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.

Georgia | PM calls Pres. Zourabichvili to step down in December

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