Georgian PM: Georgia endured intense pressure to enter Russia-Ukraine military conflict

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said that diplomacy was a more positive tool for protecting national interests than rough political interests.

In his remarks at a panel discussion on the sidelines of the ongoing Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Kobakhidze emphasised that current global developments were dominated by political interests rather than diplomatic tools.

“We believe that diplomacy is a more positive tool for protecting national interests than rough political interests. That is why we patiently await the advent of peace, a time when diplomacy will regain its strength”, the PM said.

“When speaking about the power of diplomacy, we must distinguish between times of peace and times of war. Diplomacy carries vastly different weight depending on the context. At present, we are living through a period of war, with conflicts erupting around us. Based on our experience, I can say that the strength of diplomacy in such conditions is very limited”, he continued.

Kobakhidze further recalled that Georgia was approached in February 2022 with requests to become involved in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

“I can tell you that in February 2022, we were asked to join the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We received a second request at the end of February 2022. The political pressure against Georgia on this issue was quite crude. This situation, of course, was not conducive to the country. We had to wage a very intense political battle to protect Georgia's national interests and ensure peace in Georgia. It was only a political struggle, without the power of diplomacy”, he noted.

Kobakhidze further highlighted that Georgia continued to face significant challenges, and the Government was focused on maintaining peace and promoting the country’s well-being.

“To this day, we face these challenges - we have to focus more on fighting for the peace and well-being of our country than on using diplomatic tools with various countries. I can also tell you that Georgian ambassadors in specific countries are left without work, because at this stage it is impossible to communicate with these specific countries. They often complain about this, but we always tell them that we must wait for a peaceful period. As soon as peace is restored, diplomacy will, of course, take center stage”, the PM said.

Kobakhidze further expressed his confidence that “once peace is restored, diplomacy will outweigh all other factors”.