The Orenburg Regional Court has begun hearing the state prosecution's appeal in the 6-million-ruble bribe case involving former senator Rauf Arashukov. The prosecution is seeking to increase the fine for the former official, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, from 120 million to 420 million rubles.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the government faces a "constitutional task"—the country's European integration—while also pointing to the existence of "problems" within the European Union.
According to him, values such as democracy, human rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press have been devalued in the EU, and this trend is currently irreversible.
"We must closely monitor developments and hope that the EU will find the strength to reverse the situation, and these negative trends will hopefully be replaced by positive ones. In that case, of course, Georgia would be interested in joining the European Union. Our goal remains a goal, and we will do everything possible to fulfill our obligations arising from EU-Georgia relations," Kobakhidze emphasized.