TBILISI. Dec 10 (Interfax) - Members of the former Georgian leadership are conditioning President Mikheil Saakashvili's endorsement of new Georgian ambassadors to serve abroad by the release of some of their associates from prison, says Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.
"As far as I know, members of the former authorities are demanding that some of their party members be released in exchange for the confirmation of ambassadors," Ivanishvili said.
Foreign Minister Maya Panjikidze handed a list of new candidates for ambassadors to the president for confirmation a month ago, but they have still not been endorsed, Ivanishvili said.
"I am calling on our opponents not to tie the endorsement of ambassadors to the detained criminals," he said.