A group of 118 former Georgian ambassadors and diplomats on November 28 issued a joint statement marking one year since Georgian Dream “stopped Georgia’s movement toward the European Union” — a decision they say has hindered the country’s progress, weakened its democratic development, and fueled anti-Western narratives.
The diplomats recall that on November 28, 2024, Georgian Dream announced it would not place the issue of opening EU accession negotiations on the agenda until the end of 2028. According to them, this decision effectively suspended Georgia’s EU integration and deprived the country of a historic opportunity created by the shifting geopolitical landscape following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In their statement, the former ambassadors urge Georgia’s international partners to keep the country high on the political agenda, to respect the will of the majority of Georgian citizens who support EU and NATO membership, and to continue backing Georgia’s freedom, territorial integrity, and European perspective.
They stress that EU and NATO aspirations are not merely foreign policy preferences but essential for strengthening sovereignty, building a democratic state, protecting national identity, and ensuring a peaceful future. They also underline that returning to the European family is the only path toward restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity peacefully.
The diplomats emphasize that claims about the EU demanding Georgia “cede sovereignty” or open a “second front” are disinformation. Instead, the obligations tied to EU candidate status related to judicial independence, anti-corruption reforms, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights — standards identical for all candidate countries.
The statement accuses the government of deliberately refusing to fulfill these conditions, fueling anti-Western sentiment, and attempting to discredit strategic partners who have supported Georgia since independence. The former ambassadors argue that equating the EU with the Soviet Union or comparing Western partners to Russia is “absurd and immoral.”
They also warn that recent repressive legislative changes, attacks on free expression, pressure on dissent, attempts to suppress peaceful protests, and a growing number of political prisoners have deepened Georgia’s isolation and distanced it from the European family.
Signatories claim that Georgian Dream’s current foreign policy course contradicts Article 78 of the Constitution, which obliges the government to ensure Georgia’s integration into the EU and NATO.
Despite the challenges, the diplomats express confidence that Georgia will ultimately regain its rightful place in a united, free, and peaceful European family.
The statement is signed by 118 former ambassadors and diplomats, including Maia Abulashvili, Eka Akobia, Davit Dondua, Temur Iakobashvili, Sergi Kapanadze, Batumi Kutelia, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, Tornike Parulava, Irakli Koplatadze, Giorgi Sabanadze, Natalia Sabanadze, Giorgi Muchaidze, and many others.
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