Georgia’s Foreign Ministry summoned German Ambassador Peter Fischer on September 24, the first such move in bilateral relations, amid escalating Georgian Dream attacks accusing him of meddling in internal affairs and violating the Vienna Convention. Germany, in response, defended its Ambassador again, calling the summons “baseless” and denouncing Tbilisi’s “continuing aggressive rhetoric” against him.
Talks at the Foreign Ministry lasted more than an hour and a half between Ambassador Fischer and First Deputy GD Foreign Minister Giorgi Zurabashvili, with both sides accompanied by two representatives, as seen in the photo. GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili is currently in New York at the UN General Assembly.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry press release, during the talks, “the Georgian side expressed concern regarding attempts to encourage a radical agenda within the country, which are inconsistent with the principles of democracy and contribute to the aggravation of societal polarization.”
The ministry added, “Equally concerning are the ongoing attempts to politicize judicial proceedings in Georgia, as well as the involvement of ambassadors in these processes.”
The German Foreign Office responded in a post on X, “We firmly reject the continuing aggressive rhetoric by representatives of the Georgian Dream towards the German Ambassador in Tbilisi and his baseless summons today,” adding, “He represents the position of the Federal Government and acts in full compliance with the Vienna Convention.”
The Georgian MFA press release also says that Fischer “was reminded that, pursuant to Article 41(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 are likewise required not to interfere in the internal affairs of the host country.”
The Foreign Ministry added that the Georgian side “inquired into the grounds for the concerns expressed by the Embassy of Germany with regard to the alleged promotion of hate speech and the dissemination of disinformation.”
Germany has previously defended its ambassador against what it called Georgian Dream’s “baseless accusations” and “continuing aggressive rhetoric” directed at him.
“It was noted that the Embassy had been formally requested to provide specific substantiation for these concerns,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said, adding, “However, such substantiation has not, to date, been presented. Accordingly, the Georgian side regards such allegations as yet another attempt to assault the government without any basis.”
The Georgian Foreign Ministry further said that, despite what it called “targeted campaigns” against the Georgian government, the latter “attaches great importance to and remains committed to preserving its relations, considering that actions of this nature undermine the partnership carefully cultivated between the two countries over the years.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the hope that, in the future, the activities of diplomatic representatives will be guided by the principles of cooperation founded on mutual respect in interstate relations,” the MFA statement concluded.
Georgian Dream leaders have stepped up their attacks on Western ambassadors, with Fischer becoming a particular target. GD and its affiliated media accuse the diplomats of interfering in the country’s internal affairs and overstepping their diplomatic mandate. This new wave of attacks comes amid claims of alleged meetings between diplomats and opposition politicians.
The summoning follows a statement by the embassies of 26 European countries, including Germany, as well as the EU mission, published earlier the same day, rejecting “baseless and damaging accusations” about the role and activities of diplomatic missions in Georgia.
“Such disinformation misleads the public and undermines possibility for our diplomatic missions to carry out our duties,” the embassies wrote, stressing that they “do not support any particular political party” and that claims they support “violence and extremism are simply not true.”
Hours before today’s summons, Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili again lashed out at Ambassador Fischer, saying he had “burned all bridges with the Georgian government” instead of building them, calling the situation “very unfortunate.”
While Fischer was at the Foreign Ministry, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said his summoning is a “measure” taken “when an ambassador in Georgia grossly violates the principles of the Vienna Convention.” Kobakhidze claimed Fischer “is directly involved in the activities of the radical opposition, attempting to exert pressure on the independent judiciary.”
Fischer has often criticized the Georgian Dream government over its anti-democratic and anti-EU actions. Together with several other ambassadors, he has also attended court proceedings of jailed journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli.
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