Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns 'Extreme Diplomatic Escalation' by Official Kyiv
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has expressed deep concern over the decision made by the Ukrainian authorities to summon the Georgian ambassador from the country for consultation. The Ministry views this action as a significant escalation of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
According to the statement, the reason provided by the Ukrainian authorities makes this decision particularly incomprehensible.
"The decision of the Strasbourg court puts an end to speculations about the health condition of the convict Mikheil Saakashvili, once again confirming the highest standards of protection for Mikheil Saakashvili's rights by the state. Against this backdrop, the decision of the Ukrainian authorities significantly harms the strategic relations between the two countries and represents a direct interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state.
We hope that official Kyiv will reconsider its decision and make efforts to further develop historically friendly relations between the two countries.
We would like to emphasize once again that Georgia's support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is unwavering. Since the beginning of the war, Georgia has been providing political and humanitarian support to Ukraine at both the bilateral level and in various international formats.
It is also significant that, even in the face of Russian military aggression, the diplomatic representation of Georgia in Ukraine has not ceased functioning.
Georgia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Giorgi Zakarashvili, conveyed Tbilisi's official position to the Ukrainian side during the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in Kyiv today.
Here, we would like to point out that Georgia will continue to express solidarity and support for Ukraine, which is currently at war. Given the active phase of the conflict, the Georgian side, aware of its great responsibility in international relations, particularly towards its partners, refrains from any additional reaction in response to Ukraine's steps, which would further aggravate bilateral relations and worsen the already difficult situation," as mentioned in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
