FM says PM’s visit to Germany was planned in April, calls on everyone not to “mislead” society, harm country’s interests

Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday clarified that Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s upcoming Friday’s visit to Germany had been planned in April after the “close consultations” between the countries’ Foreign Ministries, and called on everyone not to “mislead” Georgian society and harm the country’s interests “when evaluating Georgia's foreign policy and our European integration”.

Darchiashvili said he was responding to the “hysteria” of opposition-minded TV channels, which alleged that Garibashvili “has been summoned to Germany” and would have “a difficult conversations” with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

An incomprehensible and harmful reaction of our opponents [radical opposition] regarding this [PM’s visit to Germany] visit stems from the fact that Germany has become one of the main supporters of our [Georgia’s] European integration and speaks out loudly about its importance”, the FM emphasised.

He highlighted the Government’s “consistent efforts” and politics, which resulted in one of the strongest member states of the European Union - Germany’s “strong support” for Georgia, and stressed this caused the opposition’s “irritation and the spread of such harmful misinformation”, the Foreign Ministry said.

Garibashvili will have a “fruitful” visit to Berlin, where he will discuss Georgia’s European future, strengthening of regional security, economic cooperation and further enhancing bilateral relations with the German Chancellor, Darchiashvili said and urged the opposition to “constructively assess” Georgia’s foreign policy.