Georgian Foreign Ministry Summons British Ambassador Gareth Ward
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador Gareth Ward on September 25, a day after German Ambassador Peter Fischer was also called in, as Georgian Dream escalates attacks on Western diplomats, accusing them of meddling in the country’s internal affairs.
Ambassador Ward and the Georgian Foreign Ministry have not made any commnets, but the summons came after a joint statement from 27 European embassies, including the UK mission, denouncing what they called “baseless and damaging accusations” against diplomats in Georgia. That statement followed Georgian Dream officials’ claims, based on GD-affiliated media reports of meetings of opposition members at Western embassies, that the missions had breached the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“There is not only direct, blatant interference in politics, but also encouragement of radicalism and polarization, which, I repeat, is a gross violation of the Vienna Convention,” Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters early on September 25, when asked about the recent summonses while the British ambassador was still at the MFA.
Kobakhidze claimed that ambassadors were “directly involved in political processes,” calling it “a gross violation of the principle of democracy and a gross violation of the Vienna Convention.” He described the summons as “a normal diplomatic measure” intended to “return the ambassador to the diplomatic framework.”
Asked about the examples of ambassadors breaching the Vienna Convention, Kobakhidze alleged “direct interference in electoral processes” and diplomats attending court proceedings “in order to exert influence on the work of judges.”
This marks the second time when Ambassador Ward has been summoned. On December 20, 2024, he was called to the MFA over UK-imposed sanctions on Georgian Dream officials for their role in a systematic crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, civil society, the media, and opposition figures. The GD FM Botchorishvili said at the time these actions “damage friendly relations” between the countries.
Zaza Shatirishvili, a Georgian Dream ideologue and close associate of Bidzina Ivanishvili – often referred to as a “philosopher” by government-affiliated media – wrote today that the government should pursue “unilateral friendship” with countries he claimed are controlled by the “deep state.” He had earlier proposed curbing diplomatic missions by imposing staff size quotas.
“We need to clearly distinguish between governments controlled by the ‘deep state’ and the people of those countries, and under no circumstances should we damage the longstanding friendship between our countries,” Shatirishvili wrote, arguing that expelling ambassadors would be “pointless” since, in his view, they represent governments he says are also under “deep state” control.
Shatirishvili appeared to refer to nearly all of Georgia’s Western partners, while singling out Hungary and Slovakia as exceptions.
Note: This story was updated on September 25 at 14:40 to include a statement from Zaza Shatirishvili.
Also Read:
- 11/07/2025 – EU’s Kallas, 20 European FMs ‘Disturbed, Deeply Concerned’ Over Georgia’s ‘Deteriorating Situation’
- 16/05/2025 – GD Ideologue Suggests Slimming Foreign Embassies, Curbing Diplomats
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