Ambassador says crimes harm image of country

Georgia’s Ambassador to Greece Ioseb Nanobashvili says that crimes committed by Georgian nationals in Greece harm the two countries’ relations.

Nanobashvili stated this in response to the recent detention of a Georgian criminal group in Greece, composed of both males and females, who brutally tortured an old woman to extort money from her.

The Greece police posted the photos of the detainees.

“I would like to remark first that currently, crimes related with Georgian citizens remain the main problem in Georgia-Greece relations,” Nanobashvili stated.

He said it was not necessary to explain that this problem harmedGeorgia’s international image as well as the embassy’s activity.

“Similar cases create significant obstacles in terms of holding negotiations with the Greek government regarding issues that are important for our country. Such cases also create a very negative background and mood in the Greek people towards Georgians,” the ambassador wrote on his Facebook page.

Nanobashvili said despite the situation, the embassy has been conducting a dialogue over two key issues.

“First – we demand the rights of the detained Georgian citizens to be protected despite the serious crimes they are accused of. Secondly – we demand no false or vague information to be reported on our compatriots that are charged for this or other crimes,” he added.

The detention of the Georgian gang in Greece caused a large-scale outcry among Georgian social network users.

People shared the photos of the detainees and stated that people of this kind harmed the reputation of their homeland.

It is a sad fact for Georgia that some people who go abroad to find jobs fail to do so and later become engaged in criminal activities. These people almost never think how they harm the image of the state and how many problems they create for other Georgians who are working abroad or just visiting.

One of the reasons why some Georgian citizens fail to find jobs abroad and choose to enrol in crime gangs is due to lack of education or proper vocational skills. If they had received adequate training in their homeland some of them would have selected another path. When it comes to the result, the issue is for law-enforcement bodies to look at, but the cause of the problem partially lies in lack of or no education at all. The Georgian authorities should pay more attention to the quality of education the country provides to its citizens and the opportunities of retraining for those whose skills never meet demands of the labour market. If the Georgian government takes better responsibility on their citizens’ rights on quality education, they will be more proud of those who try to establish themselves abroad.