Georgia's Foreign Minister emphasises respect for sovereignty in international relations

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Tuesday said the relations between countries must be based on mutual respect and adherence to international principles, denouncing foreign interference in Georgia’s internal affairs, particularly regarding comments on the country's judiciary.

In her remarks, Botchorishvili denounced the actions of foreign diplomats and officials who, in her view, overstepped their boundaries by interfering in Georgia’s internal matters.

“Generally, relations between countries should, first and foremost, be based on mutual respect, as well as international principles and norms. When we criticise and condemn others for violating or disregarding international norms, they should not take the same actions against Georgia. Georgia is a sovereign country with sovereign rights, and it is absolutely unacceptable when ambassadors of other countries, especially Foreign Ministries and state-level officials, do not hesitate to interfere in the internal affairs of another state and comment on its judiciary, which is entirely within the sovereign rights of that country”, the FM said.

She further criticised Lithuania and Latvia for their stance on Georgia’s trade relations with Russia, noting that despite their own economic interactions with Russia, they continued to criticise Georgia for doing the same.

“For Lithuania and Latvia, applying double standards to Georgia has become a national interest, and they are completely losing objectivity in their stance towards Georgia. While they act based on their own national interests and do not refrain from trading and maintaining relations with Russia, they criticise us for the same, often relying on false information and narratives, which is very unfortunate. It is very regrettable that such actions hinder relations between our countries and contribute to their deterioration”, Botchorishvili concluded.