Georgian Dream Leaders Criticize Western Ambassadors
On September 16, leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party intensified their criticism of Western ambassadors.
During an interview, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, stated that a reported meeting between Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition Droa party, and Dutch Ambassador Meline Arakelian amounted to "yet another encouragement of radicalism" and constituted a "gross violation of the Vienna Convention, a direct interference in democratic elections."
Kobakhidze further broadened his criticism toward the European Union, arguing that its image was deteriorating among Georgians. He stated that "in the eyes of the Georgian people, the European bureaucracy is associated with radicalism, violence, and a neglect of democracy—all those negative developments that we see from the European bureaucracy."
He added that "this process must stop," insisting that ambassadors should "behave with integrity, in line with the Vienna Convention, and not blatantly incite radicalism and hatred in our country." He concluded, "Unfortunately, many of the ambassadors present themselves to Georgian society as ambassadors of hatred."
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, emphasized that it was "shocking" for an "accredited diplomat from a foreign country" to meet with an "extremist politician in an informal setting after she had committed a politically motivated crime."
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi, accused ambassadors of fostering "extremism" and financing "violent groups" in Georgia. He specifically criticized EU Ambassador Paweł Herczyński, stating, "All red lines have been crossed… His actions cross every red line when it comes to attempts to divide society, create confrontation, and organize a revolution in the country."
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