Georgia's Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 claimed there was a crisis between Georgia and Armenia after the Georgian Foreign Minister was misquoted regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

The comment fell during a visit to Lithuania. Mrs Panjikidze was asked by Azerbaijaniani representatives what the new government’s position is regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This is a disputed territory which both Azerbaijan and Armenia lay claim to.

–Just for the audience, I’d like to know your opinion about whether you think that all conflicts are unique or each one has a different background and solution?

–Also something which is a more philosophical question, I would say. Of course every conflict is unique and has different reasons and different historical circumstances. So, I would ask what the Georgian dream is. It’s also a Georgian dream to have no conflicts in the region, to solve every problem in the world, so it’s difficult to answer the question. Even within one country, conflicts are different. How can we compare those conflicts with another country? I think every conflict is unique. Unfortunately or fortunately — I don’t know.

But Azerbaijanian media incorrectly reported that Panjikidze supported Azerbaijan’s claim to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Tuesday, Panjikidze said Azerbaijanian media have corrected the mistake, after they saw the footage of the question and answer.

Although the mistake has been cleared up, Rustavi 2, a TV channel which favors President Mikheil Saakashvili, has for the last few days been reporting Panjikidze’s misrepresentation in Armenian media as a scandal between the two countries. The channel claims that Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has planned to replace the Foreign Affairs Minister, while the president’s National Movement party for two have said that the new government is creating problems with Georgia’s neighbor countries. They demand that the Foreign Affairs Minister comes to parliament and answers their questions.


The minister called on members of parliament to do their job, instead of running after incorrectly interpreted statements.

“Any time parliament wishes to speak with me, I am ready to go to Kutaisi and talk to foreign affairs committee members and representatives of other committees, if they are interested in talking,” the minister said.

Full clip from the meeting in Lithuania: http://media3.lrs.lt/SEIMAS2010/2012/RENGINIAI/eib20130110h1600en.wmv