TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili is being criticized for his speech in the parliament of neighboring Azerbaijan.

A member of the Azerbaijani parliament calls Saakashvili an adventurer (авантюрист).

News agency Regnum.ru reports this, quoting an Azerbaijani MP saying ‘With his performance in the Azerbaijani Parliament, Mikheil Saakashvili struck a blow to Azerbaijani-Russian relations.’

During his recent visit to Azerbaijan, the Georgian president held a speech in the country’s parliament, where he talked much about Russia, Georgia’s relations with Russia and also Georgia-Azerbaijan relations. Afterwards, he was criticized by Fazail Agamali, leader of the Motherland Party, which has two representatives in Azerbaijan’s parliament.

“Georgian dukes/princes (князья) led Russia in the Caucasus,” Agamali says, adding that remaining true to tradition, Saakashvili once again made an adventurer performance.

“From a political and ethical points of view, it didn’t need to be done, “ he says. He thinks that the Georgian president used Azerbaijan as an international rostrum to spew rhetoric against Russia.

“We have excellent relations with Russia. He should not do so. In his speech, Saakashvili didn’t mention that Azerbaijan was subjected to occupation. He only spoke about Georgia’s good relations with Azerbaijan. As for the aggressive policy of Russia, it came to the Caucasus at the invitation of Erekle II [Heraclius II Georgian king of Kartli and Kakheti in the XVIII century, ed.]. St George’s treaty was signed with Russia by Georgian princes/dukes, not Azerbaijani khans. So let Saakashvili find his relationship with Russia at home, and don’t involve Azerbaijan in this adventure.”

The MP’s view is shared by political scientist Mubariz Ahmedoglu, who heads the Center of Political Innovations and Technologies. He also calls Saakashvili’s speech adventurer and says it was unfortunate that parliamentarians weren’t allowed to ask him questions afterwards.

But Ahmedoglu doesn’t think the speech hurt Azerbaijan’s relations with Georgia or Russia. “The Georgian president can’t be considered a staunch anti-Russian leader. Sometimes his statements can even be called pro-Russian. It was on his initiative visa requirements were unilaterally lifted for Russian citizens,” Ahmedoglu told Echo, a Russian language daily newspaper in Azerbaijan.