Foreign Affairs Committee Chair of the German Bundestag Visits Georgia
Michael Roth, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, is visiting Georgia on September 16-17. From Tbilisi he will travel to Armenia.
Michael Roth is a harsh critic of the GD government. Before his visit to Georgia, he tweeted: “Off to Tbilisi! Elections must be free and fair. Oligarchy is poison to democracy. Anti-LGBTI law doesn’t align with Georgia’s long history of tolerance and openness. Dialogue is key. Germany and EU will support Georgia’s European integration if government changes its anti-democratic policies.”
The journalists from the pro-government channels, including TV Imedi, POSTV, and Rustavi 2, swarmed over Michael Roth at the Tbilisi airport, pressing him about a statement he made about the Georgian Orthodox Church during his last visit to Georgia and demanding an apology. The German official was targeted by the government and government-controlled media after his last visit to Tbilisi for his address to people protesting the Foreign Agents Law and his statement that the Church is “one of the closest allies” of the GD government. The pro-government media has discredited him over his personal life as well.
On September 16, Michael Roth met with representatives of Georgian CSOs, including the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Transparency International (TI) – Georgia, the Social Justice Center (SJC), and the Democracy Research Institute (DRI).
“It’s the civil society, stupid! Critical, brave NGOs are the backbone of a strong, resilient democracy. Thanks for pro-European commitment and inspiring work. The foreign agent law is poison for democratic culture in Georgia and must therefore be abolished,” Michael Roth wrote on X.
On the same day, Michael Roth also met with activists and representatives of queer organizations, including Tbilisi Pride, Equality Movement, Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) and online OC Media.
“Georgia has a proud history of diversity and respect for minorities. This legacy is why Georgia belongs in the EU. The anti-LGBTQ law + hatred against sexual minorities are an obstacle on Georgia’s path to the EU. It must be stopped. Thanks to all brave human rights defenders and LGBTQ activists,” Michael Roth tweeted.
On September 16, Michael Roth also met with representatives of the opposition, including Ana Dolidze and Levan Tsutskiridze of the Strong Georgia coalition, Zurab Tchiaberashvili of Unity-UNM, and Helen Khoshtaria of the Coalition for Change.
“Without a strong opposition, every democracy dies. I am not in Georgia to support the opposition. I am here to promote European values, democracies, freedom, the rule of law, so that Tbilisi can once again become the true capital of Europe,” Michael Roth tweeted.
On September 17, Michael Roth met with the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili.
“If you are looking for a brave politician, you will find her in Georgia! Thank you for the intensive conversation, Madam President. Salome Zurabishvil is the guarantor of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future against the resistance of an authoritarian regime. She is a true heroine!” Michael Roth tweeted after the meeting.
During his stay in Tbilisi, Michael Roth was denied access to government officials. Two weeks ago, the government also refused to meet with a Bundestag delegation visiting Tbilisi. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that a meeting with the German delegation was not “feasible” and specifically mentioned Michael Roth because of what Kobakhidze said was his involvement in a “revolutionary attempt” – a reference to Roth’s speech to demonstrators against the Foreign Agents Law. Notably, Roth was not part of that delegation. Whether government officials will meet with him during his current visit remains unclear.
More to Follow…
Also Read:
- 10/04/2024 – Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chair: Foreign Agents Law “Incompatible” with EU Membership
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
