Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgia Excluded from EU Enlargement Forum Amid Reduced Political Contacts
The European Commission confirmed that Georgia was not invited to the upcoming Enlargement Forum in Brussels and stated it has scaled back political contacts with the Georgian government.
Guillaume Mercier, spokesperson for the European Commission on Enlargement, International Partnerships, and Mediterranean Affairs, made the confirmation in a comment to Euroscope editor Tamar Nutsubidze.
The spokesperson directly tied the exclusion to a recent assessment of the country's reform progress. He stated, "I can confirm that Georgia has not been invited to the Enlargement Forum," and noted, "Last week we published the Enlargement Report, which once again shows that Georgia is increasingly moving away from the path toward the European Union."
Mercier stressed that the report highlights "backsliding in the reforms necessary for EU accession, which is unprecedented for a candidate country." He added, "The situation has deteriorated over the past few months, and we have observed democratic regression."
Regarding the diplomatic relationship, Mercier confirmed, "As for our relations with the Georgian authorities, as you know, we have reduced political contacts with the Georgian government, except for those aimed at finding ways to move forward in the current situation." He concluded that the decision to exclude Georgia from the forum, scheduled for November 18, was made "against this background."
Deputy Justice and Interior Ministers Dismissed
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed two high-ranking officials on November 10. The changes affected the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Prime Minister fired Irakli Khmaladze as Deputy Minister of Justice and Giorgi Butkhuzi as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.
Kobakhidze immediately named Giorgi Sakhokia to replace Butkhuzi as the new Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.
Irakli Khmaladze served as Deputy Justice Minister for six months. He was previously Tbilisi's vice mayor since 2017. A 2024 media report alleged he failed to declare some valuable assets.
Giorgi Butkhuzi had been Deputy Interior Minister since 2019. He is currently under Baltic sanctions due to his role in the 2024 crackdown on pro-EU protests. Despite the sanctions, he was awarded the Order of Honor for his "special contribution to strengthening law and order."
Giorgi Sakhokhia has experience as the director of the Defense Ministry's Defense Volunteer Agency and as rector of the Interior Ministry Academy. He previously advised the Ministry of Health's State Care and Assistance Agency.
