In an interview with the French publication Le Monde, the resigned Georgian Ambassador to France and Monaco, Gotcha Javakhishvili, called for the withdrawal of the foreign agents law.
Javakhishvili said his decision to resign was a matter of “honor” and that he could no longer carry the country’s European message amid the reintroduction of the agents law. He also said that he does not rule out the possibility that other diplomats will follow his example and resign as well. The processes that have been unfolding since the reintroduction of the law, including the increase in harsh criticism from Brussels and the praise from Moscow toward the Georgian government, could not be tolerated, said the Ambassador.
“Resignation Was A Matter of Principle and Honor“
In explaining his resignation, Javakhishvili said “it was a matter of principle and honor.” Stressing that he does not want to get involved in domestic political debates and is not trying to “score points with the opposition” and that as a civil servant, he has “no preference for any political party,” the Ambassador praised the “dynamism” of Georgian civil society and expressed his disagreement with the plan to label them as foreign agents.
The Ambassador said he had already expressed his disagreement on this law in 2023, when it was first introduced in the Georgian Parliament. The situation created by its reintroduction in 2024, he said, “no longer allowed me to carry my country’s European message.” “I was afraid of being a hypocrite, so I couldn’t imagine continuing my duties,” he added.
Javakhishvili said he wrote a letter of resignation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 17, when the bill was passed in its first reading.
Will Other Diplomats Resign ?
Although the Ambassador said that he had not discussed the issue of resignation with his colleagues, he noted that he believes that other Georgian diplomats are “deeply pro-European”. He did not rule out the possibility that his example might encourage others to resign but also noted that it was not his intention.
“Everyone will make [a decision to resign] according to their conscience,” he said.
Why did GD Reintroduce the Controversial Law ?
The decision of Georgia’s ruling party to reintroduce the Russian-style law was incomprehensible to Javakhishvili, who believes that without it, the Georgian Dream would win the next parliamentary elections in October against what he sees as a “fragmented opposition.” But he found this decision even more puzzling in light of Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU.
“Today, our European friends criticize us and Moscow compliments us. This is unbearable for me,” he said, adding: “I don’t see how we can be friends with a country that has occupied 20 percent of our territory.”
However, he said he does not see the government as pro-Russian “to the point of putting the sovereignty of the country in the hands of Russia”. He attributed the government’s cautious stance towards Russia to “a very strong fear of reigniting war in Georgia,” characterizing it as “a strategic prudence.” He asserted that the government’s objective is to “safeguard peace and our already fragile economy.” However, the choice for such a policy is leaving Javakhishvili uncertain of its cost.
Gocha Javakhishvili’s decision to resign from his post as Georgian Ambassador to France and Monaco over the foreign agents law was met with scathing statements from Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani, who both called Javakhishvili’s decision an “insult.”