Georgian ambassador to return to Ukraine after a year-long recall
Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze was recalled to Tbilisi for consultations last May. Photo: Georgian Foreign Ministry
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Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze, who was recalled to Tbilisi last year after former President Mikheil Saakashvili became chair of the executive committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, will return to Kyiv.
Stating that Sharashenidze was recalled for consultations, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported last May that Saakashvili’s appointment to the council - who faces several convictions in Georgia - would not lead to the suspension of diplomatic relations with Ukraine or cause any threats to the strategic partnership.
Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani told Rustavi 2 media outlet yesterday that amid tension near the eastern Donbass region where Ukrainian troops are in conflict with Russian-backed forces Georgia should have an ambassador in the country.
We are very worried about the developments because the situation in Ukraine is damaging the European security a lot”, Minister Zalkaliani said, noting that the Russian occupation of Ukraine is in direct connection with the occupation in Georgia.
We have a lot of joint challenges. Our bilateral relations have been seriously damaged, but as a country will act in the interests of our statehood”, he added.
Earlier this week Zalkaliani stressed the importance of involvement of the international community for de-escalation of tensions in Ukraine in a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
Had a ☎️ call W my ???????? colleague @DmytroKuleba. Expressed concern over recent developments in Eastern Ukraine. Exchanged info on ongoing situation in ???????? & ???????? on t/background of ???????? occupation & focused on importance of involvement of int'l community 4 de-escalation of tensions. pic.twitter.com/NANermQQzD
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) April 7, 2021
President Salome Zurabishvili has also spoken about the importance of unity and expressed support for Ukraine in her recent parliamentary address.
Speaking about the ‘current struggle of our Ukrainian friends’ Zurabishvili said Georgian ambassador to Kyiv should be ‘urgently returned’ in sign of this solidarity.
I express my #solidarity with our Ukrainian friends in their current #struggle. I consider it a sign of such solidarity that we urgently return our Georgian ambassador to #Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/CwgoUN7Iyc
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 10, 2021
Russia sparked alarm in Ukraine and in the international community in recent days by amassing its armed forces close to the Ukrainian border.
The military build-up has raised fears of a possible Russian offensive that could push beyond the areas of eastern Ukraine which is currently under Russian control.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has urged its public servants to refrain from making any statements on Georgia which may spark tension in the country.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Georgia has been summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry as ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who now chairs the executive committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council and is the citizen of Ukraine is ‘openly interfering in Georgian political and election issues.’
The Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze came to the Georgian Foreign Ministry for consultations earlier today due to the appointment of Georgia’s convicted ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili as chair of the executive committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council.
Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze has been recalled to Tbilisi for consultations as the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who faces several convictions in Georgia, has been appointed chair of the executive committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council.
Opposition Girchi - More Freedom party organized a rally in solidarity with Ukraine amidst concerns caused by the recent movement of Russian troops’ near the eastern Donbass region.
Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze returned to Ukraine earlier this week, amid tension at Ukrainian borders and met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his deputy Vasyl Bodnar in Kyiv yesterday, the Georgian Foreign Ministry has reported. Sharashenidze was recalled to Tbilisi in May 2020 after former President Mikheil Saakashvili became the chair of the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Ukrainian Defence Minister Andrii Taran have discussed the strategic cooperation between Georgia and Ukraine earlier today in Tbilisi.
Georgian and Ukrainian PMs Irakli Garibashvili and Denys Shmyhal have met in Tbilisi earlier today to discuss their countries’ moves to integrate into the EU and NATO in addition to bilateral and multilateral relations. “One of the key topics of our meeting was EU integration,” Garibashvili said during the joint press conference.
Both the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition are sceptical that the country’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, who currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, will keep his recent promise and return to Georgia for the October 2 municipal elections.
Former Director of the Political Department of Georgian Foreign Ministry Giorgi Zakarashvili has been appointed as Georgia’s new Ambassador of Ukraine.