Germany’s Federal Foreign Office announced that Berlin has recalled its ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, for consultations as tensions with Tbilisi grow.
“For many months, the Georgian leadership has been agitating against the EU, Germany, and also German Ambassador Fischer personally,” the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. It added that Fischer was being recalled “for consultations on how to proceed.”
In a statement published on his own X account, Ambassador Fischer confirmed the move, saying the recall was “a formal diplomatic step to express disapproval of the actions of the Georgian government that have caused a crisis in German-Georgian relations.” He also described it as “a protest against the continued disinformation and incitement by the Georgian government and the Georgian Dream against Germany, the European Union, and myself.”
Tensions have intensified since Georgia halted its EU accession process, resulting in mass protests and criticism from Western partners. The recall of the German envoy follows repeated verbal attacks by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s pro-Russian government which has accused Fischer of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs.
Last month, the Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassador, warning him against ‘interference’ and accusing him of promoting a ‘radical agenda.’ As Der Spiegel reported, Fischer attended court hearings involving opposition figures and reportedly renting the house of an opposition politician.
The European Union’s foreign ministers are set to discuss the situation in Georgia at their meeting on Monday, with Berlin expected to brief its partners on the next steps.
The German ambassador is not the only Western diplomat targeted by the Georgian government. On Thursday, Georgia’s Interior Ministry fined Finland’s foreign minister after she voiced support for demonstrators at a pro-EU rally in Tbilisi.
