FM emphasises Georgia's historic, cultural, political belonging to European family

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Wednesday reaffirmed the country's deep ties to Europe, emphasising Georgia's historic, cultural, and political belonging to the European family.

In her remarks, Botchorishvili underscored that Georgia was not only a reliable partner of Europe and the West in the South Caucasus region, but also a consistent advocate of democratic principles and shared values.

“European integration is not only the country’s key foreign policy direction, as enshrined in the Constitution - it is our historical and national aspiration to become a member of the European family. Georgia always was, is, and will be a part of Europe, and is one of the main defenders of the values upon which today’s modern Europe is built”, Botchorishvili said.

The Foreign Minister dismissed what she called “false narratives” and misinformation aimed at discrediting Georgia’s European path.

“Any speculation or false narratives which are created and then circulated against Georgia are clearly seen for what they are, and will become even clearer over time: they lead nowhere and are simply built on lies. Georgia is a country that has repeatedly demonstrated its loyalty to the principles and values that underpin modern Europe and has proven itself as a reliable partner of Europe and Western countries in the region. Consequently, these relationships must be carefully protected. But this cannot be done by us alone - we also need to see the same level of commitment from the other side, the same approach that we have towards our European partners”, she noted.

Botchorishvili also addressed what she described as “double standards” in the evaluation of Georgian domestic affairs, particularly in discussions about national interests and the banning of political parties.

“It is unfortunate that when we talk about our country’s national interests and sovereignty, there is often a circulation of opinions by various actors that go against our national interests, and there is a tendency to assess certain developments through double standards. The banning of political parties is not unfamiliar to any European country. When we observe how party bans are handled elsewhere, those countries justify their decisions by citing national interests. When we, in Georgia, have legitimate grounds to consider implementing such practices, we see some actors use this issue as a tool against Georgia’s national interests”, she continued.

Botchorishvili further expressed concern that internal EU debates and external misinterpretations were being used to harm Georgia’s image.

She concluded by criticising what she saw as an instrumentalisation of Georgia’s EU aspirations.
“We are once again seeing, even in the latest statements by the EU ambassador, that efforts are being made to use Georgia’s EU integration and its relationship with the EU as a tool against the country. The truth always finds its way. I am confident that it will do so again - even amongst EU member states and institutions”, the FM concluded.