The government of Georgia has decided to erect in capital Tbilisi a monument of King Irakli II Bagration of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, who signed the Treaty of Georgievsk on the country's passing under the auspices of the then Russian Empire. The initiator of this project is Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, RFE/RL reports.

"It is our duty to pay tribute to Georgian history and all the worthy heroes who preserved our spiritual and national identity," the PM said at the government’s cabinet meeting, noting that Irakli II "is a great national hero."

Georgia’s pro-Western political forces, however, have slammed this government initiative. Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement party has accused the ruling party, Georgian Dream, of seeking to "hand over the country to Russia" and said this initiative was "obviously not accidental" two months before parliamentary elections.

The role of Irakli II in modern Georgia is assessed differently. Some historians and politicians believe that the Treaty of Georgievsk signed by him became a prerequisite for the abolition of Georgian statehood.

The aforesaid will be the second monument of Irakli II in Georgia. The first one was erected in Telavi, the king's hometown, during the USSR era.