Germany’s ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, has announced the end of his diplomatic mission, prompting a sharp response from Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who accused the envoy of damaging relations between the two countries.
Fischer, who has served as Germany’s ambassador to Georgia since 2022, announced his departure in a farewell message posted in Georgian on X.
“Our term of office in Georgia has ended. Thank you, be happy, and ‘Auf Wiedersehen’,” he wrote.
The ambassador accompanied the post with a photograph taken at the April 9 Memorial on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue. The message also featured the song Won’t Stand Down by English musician Peter Gabriel.
During his tenure, Fischer became one of the most outspoken European diplomats in Georgia, frequently commenting on issues related to democracy, human rights, and the country’s European integration.
Responding to the ambassador’s departure, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed Fischer had done more harm than good to Georgian-German relations, describing him as “the only ambassador” to have damaged ties between the two countries.
“Traditionally, there have been special relations between Georgia and Germany. Germany played a major role, especially in the early 1990s, in the development of our country. It was a very difficult period at that time, and Germany stood by our country. This is how relations continued for many years,” Kobakhidze said.
“Peter Fischer was the only ambassador who not only did nothing for the development of these relations, but on the contrary, did everything to damage relations between Georgia and the Federal Republic of Germany. We hope that all this will turn around. This is very important for our country.”
The prime minister emphasized that Georgia remains grateful for Germany’s longstanding support and expressed hope that relations would improve following Fischer’s departure.
“We have a very strong desire to restore the friendly relations we were accustomed to before. Unfortunately, Mr. Fischer caused great damage to these relations. We hope that all this will change,” Kobakhidze said.
Germany has been one of Georgia’s key European partners for decades, supporting the country’s democratic development, economic reforms, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Relations, however, have become increasingly strained in recent years amid criticism from several Western governments and diplomats over the Georgian government’s democratic backsliding and its handling of anti-government protests.
By Team GT
