The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia said the EU had “regrettably” postponed the planned Human Rights Dialogue “despite Georgia’s efforts and readiness” to hold the meeting, adding that the grounds for the postponement were “entirely unacceptable and unjustified.”
“Using this development for further speculation only deepens reasonable doubts and reinforces the perception that the European External Action Service may have lacked genuine motivation to convene the meeting, and that Brussels may not be prepared to hear Georgia’s fact-based positions, including on issues previously cited as grounds for suspending political dialogue,” the Foreign Ministry said in a November 19 comment.
The MFA noted that after Brussels suspended political dialogue with Georgia at all levels following the EU Council’s June 27, 2024 conclusions, the “Georgian side viewed this meeting as an important opportunity to re-engage with the EU – including on issues where Brussels has frequently voiced critical assessments.”
The annual EU-Georgia Human Rights Dialogue, planned for November 21 in Brussels, was postponed indefinitely, with Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper citing “impediments from the Georgian side,” while a source familiar with the discussions told Civil.ge the postponement followed the inclusion of a sanctioned official in Georgia’s delegation.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry said the country had undertaken “extensive substantive work” to prepare for the meeting so the EU “would receive all necessary information on every agenda item,” adding that “the delegation was composed with the participation of all relevant state agencies to guarantee a comprehensive and meaningful exchange.”
The Foreign Ministry, however, maintained that Georgia “remains firmly committed to constructive engagement and continues to believe that there is no alternative to dialogue between partners.”
“Accordingly, Georgia is ready to consider engagement with the EU across various dialogue formats, once the dialogue suspended by Brussels is fully resumed.”
Georgia’s disputed Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, sharing the MFA’s position, further claimed that “Brussels is avoiding dialogue.” “The reason is simple,” Papuashvili wrote in a Facebook post, “when your positions are built on false narratives and disinformation, you know very well that in the very first reasoned conversation this false construction will collapse at the touch of a single truthful word.”
“Without respect for truth and openness to criticism, there is no such thing as ‘Europe,'” he added.
The Human Rights Dialogue is a key instrument of the EU’s external human rights policy, designed to place “human rights at the core of its action,” according to official EU guidelines. The dialogues, held based on terms of reference negotiated with each partner country, cover a wide range of legislative, regulatory, and other developments.
The meetings are held alternately in Brussels and the partner country, and involve representatives of the EU External Action Service (EEAS) as well as government and civil society actors from the partner country. The last 16th Human Rights Dialogue meeting was held in Tbilisi in 2023, and the round scheduled for 2024 was postponed.
Also Read:
- 17/11/2025 – EU Council Approves New Rules for Visa-Free Suspension Amid Concerns Over Georgia
- 07/11/2025 – EU Leaves Out Georgian Dream From Enlargement Forum After Commission’s Critical Report
- 04/11/2025 – Georgia ‘Candidate Country in Name Only’ – EU Commission Adopts 2025 Enlargement Package
This post is also available in: ქართული