Georgia’s Foreign Ministry summoned German Ambassador Peter Fischer on September 24, the first such move in bilateral relations, amid escalating Georgian Dream attacks accusing him of meddling in internal affairs and violating the Vienna Convention. Germany, in response, defended its Ambassador again, calling the summons “baseless” and denouncing Tbilisi’s “continuing aggressive rhetoric” against him,
Civil Georgia reports.
Talks at the Foreign Ministry lasted more than an hour and a half between Ambassador Fischer and First Deputy GD Foreign Minister Giorgi Zurabashvili, with both sides accompanied by two representatives, as seen in the photo. GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili is currently in New York at the UN General Assembly.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry press release, during the talks, “the Georgian side expressed concern regarding attempts to encourage a radical agenda within the country, which are inconsistent with the principles of democracy and contribute to the aggravation of societal polarization.”
“Equally concerning are the ongoing attempts to politicize judicial proceedings in Georgia, as well as the involvement of ambassadors in these processes,” the Ministry added.
The Georgian MFA press release also says that Fischer “was reminded that, pursuant to Article 41(1) of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, members of a diplomatic mission are obliged to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state and are likewise required not to interfere in the internal affairs of the host country.”
The Foreign Ministry added that the Georgian side “inquired into the grounds for the concerns expressed by the Embassy of Germany with regard to the alleged promotion of hate speech and the dissemination of disinformation.”
“It was noted that the Embassy had been formally requested to provide specific substantiation for these concerns,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said, adding, “However, such substantiation has not, to date, been presented. Accordingly, the Georgian side regards such allegations as yet another attempt to assault the government without any basis.”
