President to Georgian Ambassadors: Your Time to Make a Choice Has Come

President Salome Zurabishvili addressed a video message to Georgian Ambassadors to Europe and the United States, who are currently gathered in Berlin by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for a conference.

President Zurabishvili expressed regret that she was not given the opportunity to address the ambassadors in person but said she considered it necessary to deliver this message: “You are in the middle of Europe, and you are listening to lies, lies that our European voyage seemingly continues.”

The President went on to say that all European leaders she met last week at the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland were surprised to hear from the government that Georgia will become the EU member “anyway” – “despite passing Russian laws […] despite failing to accept any recommendations and not fulfilling any reform necessary for walking on this path [to EU membership].”

Complimenting the professional work done by the Georgian diplomats to advance this far, she said “what is happening now is a betrayal of professionalism, betrayal of those people who starting from the first days of independence, and even before, were dreaming about this, European path.”

President Zurabishvili said “she wants to believe” that diplomats remain faithful to their beliefs and stressed, “Ambassadors representing Georgia, especially in the European Union, are not in the usual situation, are not usual civil servants, and have a higher responsibility, as they represent their country and not any government. The governments come and go. You represent the country, its interests, its past, and its future.”

“I am not going to lecture you or make any suggestions. I want to say that Georgia’s ordinary citizens will be facing extraordinary choices on October 26 [Parliamentary elections], but for you, the time to choose is now,” concluded Zurabishvili.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)