Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili is attending the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C., July 9-11. He participated in the Partner Foreign Ministers Meeting on July 10 and also held bilateral meetings.
The Washington Summit marks an important setback for Georgia’s NATO ambitions, as its membership perspective was omitted from the final Declaration. In the bilateral meetings, FM Darchiashili was openly reminded of his government’s policies that impede progress toward the Alliance.
Meeting with NATO Special Representative
On July 9, Foreign Minister Darchiashvili met with the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Javier Colomina.
The Georgian MFA presented the meeting as “another confirmation of the successful process of Georgia’s integration into NATO,” saying that Colomina “emphasized that aspirant Georgia has always been a reliable partner of the alliance and has made a significant contribution to the strengthening of Euro-Atlantic security,” and stressing that “the parties agreed to continue active cooperation to achieve common goals” such as security in the Black Sea area.
FM Darchiashvili posted about the “very productive meeting with Javier Colomina.”
NATO Special Representative also tweeted about a “good meeting” and said “the current status of the NATO-Georgia partnership, including the commemoration of the SNGP 10th anniversary, and regional developments” were discussed. In his recent post, however, Colomina urged the government to change course with regard to the “foreign agents” law, which he characterized as “a step in the wrong direction.”
Meeting with Belgium’s Foreign Minister
On July 10, FM Ilia Darchiashvili met with his Belgian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium Hadja Lahbib.
According to the official press release of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the sides focused on NATO-Georgia cooperation and the country’s integration process into the Alliance. They emphasized that Georgia is NATO’s “important and reliable partner” in the region and that “its participation in the Washington Summit once again demonstrates this.”
The Belgian FM herself posted on social media post that she had called on the Georgian Minister “to reconsider” the law on foreign agents, which is “distancing the country from European values.” The Georgian MFA statement made no mention of this discussion.
Meeting with U.S. Undersecretary John Bass
FM Darchiashvili also spoke to the U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, John Bass, who has previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia. In his post on social media, the Georgian Minister referenced a “very interesting exchange of views” and stressed that the two countries “share the same values.” He also mentioned that he reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to a “Euro-Atlantic future.”
Amb. Bass, in his social media post, pointedly spoke about U.S. support for “Georgian people’s right to choose their own future,” including through free and fair elections. In a thinly veiled rebuke to the government, he added: “Georgia’s European future depends on its people’s ability to speak freely, assemble peacefully, and elect their leaders.”
Also Read:
