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Annalena Baerbock: We See Attempts to Deviate the Country From the Pro-European Course

The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is arriving to Tbilisi today. The visit comes amid growing criticism of the lack of democratic reforms, against the backdrop of Georgian Dream’s withdrawal of the so-called Foreign Agents Law, following the massive protest rallies in Tbilisi and other cities, and against the backdrop of the GD government’s unfriendly rhetoric towards the EU and the West in general, which has gained momentum in recent months.

Earlier today, prior to arriving to Tbilisi Annalena Baerbock announced about the objective of her visit: “On my trip, I want to make it clear that Germany fully supports Georgia’s European perspective. We see attempts to deviate the country from the pro-European course advocated by the overwhelming majority of Georgians. And we see the pressures the country is facing from within and without. I will talk to the government in Tbilisi about the steps the country still needs to take to gain EU candidate status.”

She stressed that the people of Georgia “have the EU as a clear goal in mind. In recent weeks, they have waved the EU flag on the streets of Tbilisi as they demonstrated to protect pluralism and the rule of law.”

She also underlined: “In addition to respecting democratic standards, it is about freedom of the media, maintaining a lively civil society and respectful public debate – even if the points of view are sometimes far apart.” She emphasized: “As the EU, these values ​​unite us and we are convinced: there can be no shortcuts or discounts here.”

Meanwhile, members of the German Bundestag have also arrived in Tbilisi for a visit. According to Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, the main topic of the meeting with Georgian lawmakers will be Georgia’s path to the European Union and the European Commission’s 12 priorities.

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