Georgian FM: Georgia must deepen partnerships across different geographies and systems

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Wednesday said that Georgia, situated at a strategic crossroads, must pursue multivector diplomacy by developing partnerships with different geographical areas, political systems, and countries to effectively fulfill its role in the Middle Corridor and advance national interests.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili explained that the era of a unipolar world has ended, requiring multivector diplomacy for nations like Georgia.

“Today, there is active talk that the era of a unipolar world has ended. Today, the world is no longer unipolar, and we are dealing with a multipolar world. If the world is multipolar, diplomacy must also be multivector, especially for a country like Georgia, which has a distinct geographical location in terms of connectivity”, she said.

She described Georgia’s location not merely as a geographical intersection but as a point where diverse interests and political directions converge, demanding caution, foresight, and pragmatism.

“Georgia is at a crossroads, and this crossroads is not just a point of geographical intersection. We must clearly understand what kind of crossroads this is. It is here that many interests and many different political directions intersect, and this requires special caution, foresight, and pragmatism from us, which is reflected in multivector diplomacy”, Botchorishvili noted.

“This means that Georgia must develop relations in various directions. Georgia needs partnerships with different geographical areas, different systems, and countries. This should serve the development of Georgia’s main function [which it has today in the context of the Middle Corridor]. Not only are we talking about this; many others are talking about it, including major players”, she continued.

The Foreign Minister further noted that while many players discuss this corridor, Georgia faces disproportionate criticism for its foreign policy steps.

“However, Georgia is the only one caught in the fire of certain criticism when it takes foreign policy steps. Georgia should not be afraid of this. We have our own path; we know what we need in order for our country to be better developed and to better fulfill the role it has today in the context of the development of the Middle Corridor”, she stressed.

Botchorishvili clarified that multivector diplomacy does not mean replacing existing partners but expanding cooperation where potential exists to better serve the country’s development.

“This requires strengthening ties in various directions. This does not mean at all replacing partners; this is not what drives us. On the contrary, we are talking about how to further develop partnership in those directions where there is potential”, Botchorishvili concluded.