2024-04-14
Georgia values and is cautious about relations with partner countries. Given the top priority of our foreign policy - integration into the European Union, cooperation with high-ranking representatives from the United States, the European Union, and EU member states, including ambassadors, and listening to their opinions is a special priority for us. We value all supportive steps and statements by incumbent ambassadors that are aimed at strengthening Georgia's international positions. Accordingly, we will continue paying special attention to their well-founded advice and recommendations in the future.
In line with the practice established in Georgia in recent years, foreign diplomats continue to actively participate in the political debates underway in the country.
They are vigorously trying to assume the role of legislators, actively participate in the legislative process, and dictate to the main body of representative democracy - the Parliament, elected by the Georgian people - which laws to adopt and which to reject.
Although this practice of supplanting the political opposition does not meet the standards of diplomacy, given the shortage of political and intellectual resources of the opposition, we can approach this with some understanding.
However, we cannot approach with understanding the similarly widespread practice whereby foreign diplomats cannot respond to our arguments with arguments behind closed doors, yet they still make baseless political statements in public.
Over the past few days, we have heard critical statements from several foreign diplomats regarding the draft law "On the Transparency of Foreign Influence." Just like the messages of our political opponents, these statements were devoid of any arguments and justification.
I believe that transparency and publicness are the best way to avoid bad practices. The baseless criticism that we often hear from foreign diplomats is generalized by the public and applied to the corresponding countries, which carries significant risks. We must maintain the Georgian public's trust in our partner countries, which is our duty and our responsibility.
Ambassadors periodically request closed meetings. We have never refused meetings and continue to be prepared for closed meetings in the future. However, given that the non-transparent political discussion surrounding the draft law "On the Transparency of Foreign Influence" harms the Georgian public's trust towards our partner countries, I offer the ambassadors of the United States, the European Union, and EU member states to hold a public discussion about this draft law.
I am certain that if the leaders of the authorities and the ambassadors engage in a substantive discussion of this subject during a live broadcast, the Georgian public will have a much clearer picture of the draft law's essence and the necessity of its adoption for the protection of state sovereignty.
Irakli Kobakhidze
Prime Minister of Georgia