Embassies of 26 European countries and the EU have rejected what they called “baseless and damaging accusations” about the role and activities of diplomatic missions in Georgia, in a joint statement that follows a fresh line of attacks by Georgia’s ruling party officials and pro-government media on Western ambassadors.
“We firmly reject the baseless and damaging accusations about the role and activities of some diplomatic missions in Georgia,” the missions said in the September 24 joint statement. “Such disinformation misleads the public and undermines possibility for our diplomatic missions to carry out our duties.”
The statement was signed by the embassies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The missions of Hungary and Slovakia, the two countries whose governments are known for their friendly relations toward the Georgian Dream government, did not join the statement.
“For diplomats, meeting a broad range of actors – government, opposition, civil society and citizens at large – is a normal part of diplomatic work, and fully consistent with the Vienna Convention,” the statement reads. “We do not support any particular political party and claims that we support violence and extremism are simply not true,” the embassies said, adding: “as a matter of fact we appeal to all actors to reject and condemn any form of violence.”
The attacks on Western diplomats intensified after pro-Georgian Dream media started alleging meetings of Georgian opposition members at European embassies. Seizing on the reports, Georgian Dream officials accused the diplomats of meddling in domestic politics and violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. GD officials also accused the ambassadors of encouraging “extremism” and financing “violent groups” in Georgia.
“We urge all political leaders to refrain from divisive rhetoric and to work towards de-escalation of tensions,” the September 24 statement added.
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