On July 2, 2025, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan, Mikhail Yevdokimov, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku, Azernews reports. The meeting was held with Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, during which Azerbaijan conveyed its official protest over Russia’s recent actions and rhetoric that have strained bilateral ties.
Day: July 2, 2025
Georgian Dream foreign minister’s deputy Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili attended an event at the Iranian Embassy in Tbilisi dedicated to “the memory of martyrs who died during the Israeli regime’s armed attack against Iran’s territorial integrity,” the Embassy of Iran reported on Facebook on July 2.
The memorial event was held in Tbilisi on June 30 and July 1. According to the Embassy, the event was attended by the ambassadors of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to Georgia, Iraq’s chargé d’affaires, China’s military attaché, as well as representatives of religious groups, including the chair of the Muslim Administration of Georgia, members of the Iranian diaspora, and Georgian Iranologists.
“They made entries in the condolence book at the Embassy, expressed condolences and solidarity to Iran,” the Embassy writes, adding, “We express our deep thanks to our friends and partners in this difficult period for their support and empathy.”
Controversial alignments
At the start of the recent hostilities between Israel and Iran, the Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concerns” over the “rising tensions in the Middle East,” which it said were “posing threats to regional security” “We strongly emphasize the importance of diplomatic efforts to achieve de-escalation and ensure stability,” the MFA said in a June 13 post on X.
Yet, while the MFA treaded a careful path, GD has increasingly come under scrutiny both at home and abroad for its relations with Iran.
In 2024, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze made two official trips to Iran: first to attend the funeral of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and then for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian. During the inauguration, Kobakhidze was seen standing next to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated days later. Kobakhidze’s presence at the event, where speakers were openly hostile to Israel and the U.S., sparked harsh criticism from the pro-Western opposition and civil society, who made a logical link between the growing repression at home, harsh criticism by GD of the European and US allies, and their warming relations with illiberal regimes.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI Act on May 6, which envisions sanctions against Georgian Dream for its growing alignment with Iran, in addition to Russia and China, among other concerns. The bill awaits the Senate vote.
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, who initiated the MEGOBARI Act, has been particularly active in highlighting the ties between GD leaders and Iran. “Why was Georgian PM Kobakhidze hanging out with IRGC, Hezbollah, and Hamas leaders in Iran just a few months ago? The same terrorists actively plotted to assassinate Donald Trump and call for the death of America every day. We see you. America will not be fooled,” Wilson wrote on X on December 27.
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