Georgia withdraws from EU ministerial due to downgraded invitation

The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the country will not attend the meeting of EU foreign ministers scheduled for October 20 in Luxembourg. The reason for the refusal was Brussels' decision to invite Tbilisi not at the ministerial level, but as an ambassador.

The ministry called this invitation "unacceptable" and emphasized that the reasons for this approach remain "unclear." The ministry viewed this gesture as a "frivolous attitude" toward the country and "yet another attempt to exploit the issue of inviting Georgia to EU events for political speculation and the promotion of a radical agenda and polarization."

Tbilisi reiterated that Georgia plays an important role in regional security and is a key link in the ties between Europe and Asia. The ministry also expressed hope that the majority of EU countries continue to value their strategic partnership with Georgia and do not support the position of the EU External Action Service.

Earlier, Radio Free Europe journalist Rikard Jozwiak reported that the decision not to invite Minister Maka Bochorishvili was due to restrictions on high-level contacts. According to the publication, this move was a response to the actions of the Georgian Dream government, which Brussels considers anti-democratic and anti-Western.

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