Georgian Parliament official says foreign diplomats must bridge nations, not divide them

Levan Machavariani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Deputy Chair of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party, on Saturday said the role of a foreign diplomat, particularly that of an ambassador, was to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Machavariani’s comments followed a Facebook post by Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on the responsibilities of foreign diplomats.

“The public itself understands which ambassadors are being referred to - those who blatantly violate the Vienna Convention, which restricts their interference in internal affairs. These same ambassadors attend court proceedings where they don’t even understand the Georgian language, simply to exert pressure on judges. I can mention Mr. Herczyński [EU Ambassador] and how actively he behaves and the statements he makes. The German Ambassador is also active and often has to provide explanations on many issues”, Machavariani said.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Saturday issued a sharp critique of certain foreign diplomats' conduct in Georgia, emphasising that ambassadors must act as envoys, not mentors, and should refrain from interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

In a social media message, Papuashvili warned against the misuse of diplomatic roles as tools for propaganda, political meddling, or regime change, claiming such behaviour contradicts both diplomatic norms and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.