The recall of Germany’s ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, marks the culmination of a prolonged diplomatic escalation between Georgia’s pro-Russian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the German envoy, Spiegel reports.
The publication says tensions intensified in mid-September, when Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accused Fischer of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs and even publicly discussed his possible expulsion.
Spiegel notes that Fischer has repeatedly criticized the Georgian government’s authoritarian tendencies, while his attendance at court hearings of opposition figures further strained relations with Tbilisi. The ambassador has also been targeted over the rental of a house from an opposition politician, an issue that fueled months of attacks from pro-government circles.
The publication emphasizes that Fischer is not the only EU representative to face friction with the Georgian authorities. It recalls that last week, the Ministry of Internal Affairs fined Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen after she expressed solidarity with anti-government protesters during her visit to Georgia.
Germany’s Federal Foreign Office announced that Berlin has recalled its ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, for consultations as tensions with Tbilisi grow.
Related story: Germany pulls ambassador from Georgia amid tensions
