Georgian foreign office summons German Ambassador, cites Vienna Convention, warns against interference

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday summoned Peter Fischer, Germany’s Ambassador to the country, reminding him of the Vienna Convention’s provisions on non-interference and expressing concern over attempts to encourage a radical agenda in Georgia.

The Ministry noted that during the meeting, Fischer was reminded that under Article 41, Paragraph 1 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, members of a diplomatic mission must respect the laws of the host country and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.

“During the meeting, the Ambassador was reminded that, in accordance with Article 41, Paragraph 1 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, members of a diplomatic mission are obliged to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state and, in addition, have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of the host state. It was noted during the meeting that the Georgian side is concerned by attempts to encourage a radical agenda in the country, which in turn contradicts the principles of democracy and contributes to the deepening of polarisation in society”, the statement said.

The Ministry also criticised what it described as attempts to politicise ongoing judicial proceedings, noting that the participation of ambassadors in such processes is “troubling”,

“It was also emphasised that attempts to politicise ongoing judicial proceedings in the country, as well as the participation of ambassadors in these processes, are troubling. The Georgian side enquired about the basis for the concerns expressed by the German Embassy regarding the alleged incitement of hate speech and facilitation of disinformation. It was noted that the Embassy had been officially requested to provide concrete substantiation for these concerns, which has not been done to date, and accordingly, the Georgian side considers such allegations as yet another attempt at an unfounded attack against the Government”, the statement noted.

Despite what it called targeted campaigns against the Government, the Ministry emphasised that Georgia valued its relations with Germany and hoped that future work by diplomatic representatives would be based on mutual respect and cooperation.

“Despite the targeted campaigns carried out against it, the Government of Georgia attaches great importance to and safeguards its relations, and believes that such actions harm the partnership that has been established between the two countries over many years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its hope that the work of diplomatic representatives will be based on the principles of cooperation and mutual respect between the two countries”, the Ministry concluded.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said that the summoning of the German Ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents a diplomatic step taken when an ambassador operating in Georgia “grossly violates the principles of the Vienna Convention”.