Georgian president condemns violence in Ukraine, calls for dialogue

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili on Wednesday urged Ukrainian authorities to refrain from using force and start talks with the opposition, following the latest outbreak of violence in Kiev. Expressing his concern over the developments in Ukraine, Margvelashvili said in an official statement the situation in the Ukrainian capital was alarming. According to the Ukrainian Health Ministry, at least 25 people were killed during the violence in Kiev that erupted Tuesday and continued into the early hours of Wednesday. The Georgian president called on his Ukrainian counterpart to spare no efforts to stop the violence and start a dialogue with the opposition, saying human life and the country's unity and sovereignty was of the greatest value to the government. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili also condemned the violence, saying "a tragedy that took place in Ukraine and resulted in heavy casualties, is our tragedy, too, especially considering that one of the victims was Georgian. I express sympathy to the family of the deceased." In cases of violence, "responsibility primarily rests with the government, because it is obliged to prevent escalation of the situation, not to lead the country to bloodshed and civil war," Gharibashvili said. Zurab Khurtsia, a 58-year-old Georgian, reportedly died from heart failure in central Kiev. "We express sympathy to the families of those killed and injured, among whom, unfortunately, was one of our citizens," the Georgian foreign ministry said in a statement. The violence in Ukraine was the latest wave of clashes between demonstrators and riot police in the political standoff, which began last November over the government's decision to backtrack on the country's European integration.