Day: May 15, 2026
At a time when the South Caucasus stands on the threshold of a fateful, historic milestone, certain Russian media resources and commissioned channels have launched a coordinated assault against Azerbaijan. The so-called anxieties being brought forward under the guise of “Armenian cultural heritage” in Karabakh neither serve culture nor represent a natural process. This is merely the next mechanism of pressure, instantly deployed by the Russian propaganda machine whenever a geopolitical turning point emerges in the region. The script is old, and the objective is clear.
Georgian Dream Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Maka Botchorishvili participated in the 135th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chișinău, Moldova, where she addressed participants and held bilateral meetings, including with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha.
The 135th session of the Committee of Ministers, the decision-making body of the Council of Europe, brought together Ministers for Foreign Affairs and other high-ranking representatives of the member states “to provide political guidance and strategic direction to the Organization.” It also marked the conclusion of the Moldovan Presidency of the Committee and the handover to Monaco.
Among the developments during the session was the expression of intent by 36 countries and the European Union to join a new Enlarged Partial Agreement establishing the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Georgia was not among them. The CoE said “the tribunal will investigate, prosecute and try those who are primarily responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”
Meeting with Andrii Sybiha
The meeting between Maka Botchorishvili and Andrii Sybiha, which the latter said earlier this week would take place, came amid renewed high-level exchanges between Tbilisi and Kyiv, in what appears to be an effort to restore ties after years of strained relations between erstwhile close allies.
It followed a May 6 phone call between Botchorishvili and Sybiha and a May 4 pull-aside meeting in Yerevan between Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also attended by the two foreign ministers, on the margins of the European Political Community summit. All exchanges were reportedly initiated by the Ukrainian side.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said the latest meeting in Chișinău was a “further step” following recent communications between representatives of the Georgian and Ukrainian governments. Sybiha also said the conversation served as a “direct follow-up” to the recent dialogue between Irakli Kobakhidze and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Yerevan.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the latest discussions “focused on Georgia’s consistent political and humanitarian support for Ukraine.” The ministry added, “At the same time, the Georgian side underscored the existing challenges in Georgia-Ukraine relations, including steps taken by the Ukrainian authorities in recent years and positions that continue to hinder the normalization of bilateral relations.” It further said the two ministers “reaffirmed the importance of restoring healthy diplomatic relations and expressed their readiness to continue dialogue.”
In a post on X, Andrii Sybiha said, “We discussed a wide bilateral agenda, our cooperation within international organizations, in particular GUAM, and the latest political dynamics in the shared values-based space from Europe to the South Caucasus.” He added, “We continue to develop a transparent, pragmatic, and constructive Ukrainian-Georgian dialogue.”
GUAM is for the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, a regional cooperation framework of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova, founded in 1997.
Address at Ministerial
In her address to participants of the session, published by the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Maka Botchorishvili reacted to the Moldovan authorities’ decision to deny accreditation to three Georgian pro-government TV channels – Imedi TV, POSTV, and Rustavi 2 – that sought to cover the event on site.
Botchorishvili said journalists from those Georgian TV channels were “denied entry into Moldova.” She added, “It is deeply troubling when freedom of speech and media freedom are interpreted selectively.”
She went on to address what she described as “double standards applied to Georgia,” saying, “It is hypocrisy to lament a so-called ‘democratic backsliding’ while simultaneously encouraging radical forces that are rejecting elections; to claim ‘support for the Georgian people’ while demonstratively distancing oneself from the government elected by those very people; to speak of the rule of law while at the same time seeking ways to circumvent law and justice.”
Botchorishvili then spoke about the situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories. “The occupation, effective control, and Russia’s responsibility for grave human rights violations have been confirmed by international courts, including judgments of the European Court of Human Rights,” she said.
“Nevertheless, Russia continues to disregard its international obligations and is taking further steps toward the annexation of Georgia’s regions. Evidence of this is the so-called ‘Agreement on Deepening Alliance and Cooperation’ signed on May 9, 2026, between Moscow and the Russian occupation regime in Tskhinvali,” Botchorishvili said, marking the first public reaction by the Georgian Dream authorities to the signing of the treaty, which has already been ratified by Russia’s State Duma.
Referring to Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Botchorishvili said, “Today, as the war in Ukraine continues, it has become even clearer that no country can truly be secure if international law is applied selectively, if occupation is gradually accepted as a ‘new normal,’ and if force is allowed to prevail over law.”
The Foreign Ministry added that Botchorishvili reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and said the country “is making every effort to preserve peace, stability and security in the region.”
“We know the price of war all too well, and we understand that peace is not merely the absence of military escalation, but a responsibility before our people, our region, and our shared European future,” She added.
Other Meetings
In addition to the meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart, Maka Botchorishvili held several meetings on the margins of the session. She met, among others, with Serbian and Luxembourgish participants, as well as CoE officials.
During the meeting with Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg, “the parties underscored the importance of maintaining dialogue,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said. “The discussion focused on relations with the European Union, as well as ongoing developments in the region and in Georgia. Georgia’s progress in terms of economic development and the priorities in this regard were noted. Particular emphasis was placed on Georgia’s role and prospects in the context of regional connectivity.”
During the meeting with Marko Đurić, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, “the parties discussed the existing cooperation” between the two countries, paying attention to “the dynamics of economic and trade relations,” and underscoring “the importance of exchanging high-level visits.” The Georgian Foreign Ministry said they also discussed “the current situation in the region and the challenges encountered on the path toward European integration.”
During the meeting with Gunn Marit Helgesen, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, “the parties underscored the role of the Congress in enhancing local self-government and expressed their readiness to continue cooperation,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said, adding, “The Georgian side briefed the President of the Congress on the ongoing political processes and reforms in the country.”
More to follow…
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