Georgia is the only candidate country told that its de facto Foreign Minister has no place alongside the foreign ministers of European countries, wrote Salome Samadashvili, one of the leaders of “Strong Georgia-Lelo,” on social media. Samadashvili was responding to reports that Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Maka Botchorishvili, was not invited to a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
According to Samadashvili, the non-invitation of Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili to the foreign ministers’ meeting is the clearest indication that the current government lacks legitimacy in the eyes of the European Union.
“During the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, European foreign ministers convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss Georgia’s issues. I and the then-Foreign Minister were invited—not to the meeting itself, but to a side room for individual meetings with ministers. I remember vividly how acutely I felt the powerlessness and difficulty of being in a situation where you don’t belong to the club of secure, wealthy, successful countries, sitting in a side room in the role of a ‘poor relative’ while your fate is being discussed. I knew we had to do everything to secure our place in the European Council’s meeting room.
Years have passed, and now we’re not even invited to the waiting room.
Since 2009, Georgia began to be periodically invited to the EU foreign ministers’ meetings within the framework of the Eastern Partnership initiative. Today, in 2025, Georgia holds the status of an EU candidate country. Accordingly, our attendance at these council meetings should be even more relevant. However, thanks to the Russian regime, Georgia is the only candidate country told that its de facto Foreign Minister has no place alongside the foreign ministers of European countries.
The non-invitation of Botchorishvili to the foreign ministers’ meeting is the clearest indication that this government lacks legitimacy in the eyes of the EU, that Ivanishvili’s regime is not seen as representing the real interests of the Georgian people, nor as democratically elected, nor as a partner,” Samadashvili wrote.
For reference, Rikard Jozwiak, the Europe editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported that Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili was not invited to the EU-organized meeting of foreign ministers. According to Jozwiak, Tbilisi will only be represented at the ambassadorial level.
The meeting, scheduled for October 20 in Luxembourg, will be attended by the foreign ministers of EU member states, as well as those from Central Asian and Black Sea countries.
Salome Samadashvili: Thanks to the Russian regime, Georgia is the only candidate country told that its de facto Foreign Minister has no place alongside European foreign ministers
