Georgian Parliament Speaker accuses German Ambassador of damaging 30-year Georgia-Germany partnership

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said it was regrettable that the close 30-year partnership between Georgia and Germany had been damaged within three years by German ambassador Peter Fischer.

Speaking in response to a question regarding a meeting between Nino Lomjaria, the founder of the NGO Georgian European Orbit, and the German ambassador, Papuashvili said the scene itself had “a certain German aesthetic” as the scene reminded him of images associated with Cold War-era escapes from East to West Berlin.

“The scene itself had a certain German aesthetic in the sense of how people used to secretly transfer individuals from East Berlin to the West when they were escaping. We have seen such scenes before, and that is why there was a certain German aesthetic to it”, the speaker said.

Papuashvili further focused on the ambassador’s actions and his attitude toward the Georgian people. According to him, a sense of hostility toward the Georgian public, particularly voters of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was clearly reflected in the ambassador’s statements.

“Unfortunately, we see an attitude from Mr. Peter toward the Georgian people, and I do not know why he has such an attitude - a certain hostility toward the Georgian Dream and its voters. I would like to tell Mr. Peter not to make the Georgian people, and especially the Georgian Dream and its voters, objects of hostility”, he noted.

“Unfortunately, this hostility is very clearly visible in his stance and statements, which is particularly serious given the partnership that has existed between Georgia and Germany. Today we have a person representing Germany who, at a personal level, openly demonstrates a position of hostility toward the Georgian Dream, the government, and its voters. He constantly refers to some theoretical or imagined Georgia that supposedly meets him every day and expresses gratitude to him, apparently in an attempt to reassure himself”, the speaker continued.

Papuashvili further added that it was not right to turn Georgia, the Georgian people, and its government into objects of hostility.

“This is not a European action, nor a European approach, and it has not been the German approach of recent decades to sow hostility in another society. Therefore, we are dealing with a regrettable situation. In the case of Mr. Peter, however, I think this is already a hopeless case. All we can do now is wait until June, when he leaves Georgia, and I hope the next person who arrives will take all this into account”, he said.

“It is unfortunate that the close 30-year partnership between Georgia and Germany has been damaged in three years by this individual”, Papuashvili concluded.