Botchorishvili: 8% Growth Is 'Best Response' to False Narratives About Georgia
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili pointed to the country's roughly 8% economic growth, expanding international partnerships and strategic role in the Middle Corridor as evidence against what she called years of disinformation about Georgia.
"You will often hear various narratives about Georgia, but our message is: look at the figures-the economic growth indicators and the scale of the partnerships Georgia is developing," Botchorishvili said during a Euronews Forum panel at the Arab Media Summit in the United Arab Emirates.
She said large-scale disinformation campaigns against Georgia had been underway for several years, with narratives about the country often differing significantly from reality.
Botchorishvili said Georgia's position in the South Caucasus and its role in the Middle Corridor are important to Europe's security, prosperity and economic development. She described the Middle Corridor as more than a physical transport route, saying it brings together wider economic and geopolitical interests.
The minister identified the presence of Russian military forces in Georgia's regions as the country's main security threat. She said the current geopolitical environment also creates opportunities for Georgia to preserve peace and stability, sustain economic development and expand partnerships worldwide.
On the European Union, Botchorishvili called it an important partner that will remain important to Georgia, linking European aspirations to the country's history and identity.
"The European Union is an important partner for Georgia and will remain so. This is a particularly emotional issue for us-it is connected to our identity and our history, but at the same time, it is also our future," she said.
She said Georgia's closer integration with Europe requires intensive dialogue, mutual respect and an exchange of experience between both sides.
"We have European aspirations, but we do not have the experience of being part of the European family. Europe wants to enlarge, but Europe also does not have experience of being present in the South Caucasus. Therefore, both sides need to learn and share experience," Botchorishvili said.
On EU enlargement, she said the South Caucasus must be considered in discussions about Europe's security and prosperity.
"If we are talking about enlargement, and if we are seriously talking about Europe's security, we must take into account that the South Caucasus is an important part of the map, one that matters both for Europe's security and for its prosperity," she said.
Botchorishvili also said Georgia is developing partnerships with different regions of the world, while citing its economic performance as a response to criticism.
"Georgia has one of the best economic growth rates in the region and in Europe-approximately 8%, which is an impressive figure. This is precisely the best response to all the false narratives we hear about Georgia," she said.
The panel, titled "Shaping the National Narrative in the Age of Open Media," also featured UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Touq and Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration. Euronews Chairman Pedro Vargas David moderated the discussion.
The information was released by Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
