Georgian FM: EU making mistake by excluding Georgia from political dialogue on connectivity

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said on Friday that the European Union is making a strategic mistake by excluding Georgia from political dialogue formats while placing emphasis on regional connectivity, arguing that closer engagement would serve the interests of both sides.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili argued that excluding Georgia from political dialogue on connectivity not only disadvantages the country but also undermines the European Union’s own strategic interests.

“This is a very big mistake that the European Union is making when, while talking about connectivity, it leaves Georgia out of the format of political dialogue. This is a mistake, nothing more. We are simply losing time. Georgia is in no way being punished; in this case, it simply cannot be. We have our own business, we have our geographical location, we have potential, and, of course, we are working and will continue to work so that this potential, which we have thanks to our geographical location and the opportunities of our economic development, is not wasted and is used to the maximum for the benefit of our country”, she said.

The Foreign Minister stressed that political dialogue was equally important for both Georgia and the EU, noting that Georgia remains one of the European Union’s closest political and economic partners in the region.

“In this case, political dialogue with the European Union is needed by Georgia just as much as by the European Union, and accordingly, the interest, of course, should exist from their side that precisely with that country which is closest to the European Union in the region - the closest politically and economically - intensive political dialogue with this country should be in their interest”, Botchorishvili stressed.

She added that the EU Association Agreement already provides multiple institutional formats for political dialogue, but these mechanisms were suspended by the European Union.

“The resource for dialogue always exists; the main thing is that the will exists. If the will exists, we have the Association Agreement; the Association Agreement sets out numerous formats of political dialogue which have been suspended precisely by a decision of the European Union. By their own decision it is very simple to renew these dialogue formats in various directions - this also concerns connectivity issues”, she noted.

“There is a political decision that needs to be changed on the part of the European Union and an approach that needs to be changed again and again proceeding from Europe’s own needs”, Botchorishvili concluded.