The Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the country’s deep ties to Europe, emphasising Georgia’s historic, cultural, and political belonging to the European family.

“European integration is not only the country’s key foreign policy direction, as enshrined in the Constitution - it is our historical and national aspiration to become a member of the European family. Georgia always was, is, and will be a part of Europe, and is one of the main defenders of the values upon which today’s modern Europe is built.

Any speculation or false narratives which are created and then circulated against Georgia are clearly seen for what they are, and will become even clearer over time: they lead nowhere and are simply built on lies.

Georgia is a country that has repeatedly demonstrated its loyalty to the principles and values that underpin modern Europe and has proven itself as a reliable partner of Europe and Western countries in the region.

Consequently, these relationships must be carefully protected. But this cannot be done by us alone - we also need to see the same level of commitment from the other side, the same approach that we have towards our European partners.

It is unfortunate that when we talk about our country’s national interests and sovereignty, there is often a circulation of opinions by various actors that go against our national interests, and there is a tendency to assess certain developments through double standards.

The banning of political parties is not unfamiliar to any European country. When we observe how party bans are handled elsewhere, those countries justify their decisions by citing national interests. When we, in Georgia, have legitimate grounds to consider implementing such practices, we see some actors use this issue as a tool against Georgia’s national interests.

We are once again seeing, even in the latest statements by the EU ambassador, that efforts are being made to use Georgia’s EU integration and its relationship with the EU as a tool against the country. The truth always finds its way. I am confident that it will do so again - even amongst EU member states and institutions”, - said Maka Botchorishvili.