A wedding banquet lured the daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Georgia. But the Georgians gave her an unpleasant reception. After protests, the wedding guests who had arrived left the country again.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has deeply divided Georgia. While the vast majority of the population condemns the invasion and opposes Vladimir Putin’s policies, the country’s government is keen to maintain ties with the Kremlin. A marriage has now made this division clear.
The daughter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Ekaterina Vinokourova, traveled to Georgia with her husband Alexander Vinokourov to celebrate the wedding of her husband’s brother. While the civil marriage in Tbilisi went smoothly, the wedding banquet had to be cancelled. This should take place on Saturday at the Kvareli Lake Resort. However, the presence of Lavrov’s daughter did not please the Georgians – they protested.
Daughter of Sergei Lavrov not welcome
On Saturday, several hundred people gathered in front of the hotel for a protest rally. At least 16 protesters were arrested, including the leader of the opposition movement Droa (The Time Has Come), Elene Khoshtaria. Video recordings show the angry crowd in front of the hotel where the wedding party was to be celebrated.
According to media reports, the situation came to a head after protesters began throwing eggs at minibuses leaving the hotel. “There is no place for Russians in Georgia,” they are said to have shouted.
President announces cancellation of wedding
Finally, on Saturday afternoon, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili declared that Lavrov’s brother-in-law’s wedding would not take place. The wedding guests who had arrived would have left Georgia again. The Georgian President called the rejection a “victory for society”.
“Regarding today’s incident, although it was quite difficult for me to get in touch, I still received assurances from the Home Secretary that the family, i.e. the people who were going to celebrate the second half of the wedding today, have left. Therefore, the wedding will not take place today,” explained Zurabishvili.
She called on the government to immediately impose sanctions on Russian citizens who are on western countries’ sanctions lists. Among them is the daughter of Sergey Lavrov.
Again flights between Russia and Georgia
The incident causes dissatisfaction. Because one thing is clear: the family members of the Russian foreign minister could not have entered Georgia without the knowledge and consent of the authorities. Russian members of the opposition or journalists from the independent TV broadcaster Dozhd, which operates from abroad, have already been prevented from entering the country in the past.
The arrival of Lavrov’s relatives coincided with the resumption of air traffic between Georgia and Russia. The day before there were protests in Tbilisi. President Zurabishvili promised not to use the services of Georgian Airways as long as they fly to Russia.
However, Lavrov’s daughter reportedly arrived in Tbilisi on May 19 on a plane operated by Russian airline Azimuth. It was the first direct flight from Moscow in four years after restrictions on direct flights between the two countries were lifted.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
