The News in Brief
Monday, July 4, 2022
Prepared by Liza Mchedlidze
PM Gharibashvili Wanted Me to Resign, Says Former Ambassador to France Tea Katukia
The former ambassador of Georgia to France, Thea Katukia, says that her resignation “was solely the wish of Irakli Gharibashvili” and that she was told about it in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "in a very short telephone conversation.”
“Two months ago, during a very short telephone conversation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was clearly explained to me that the expectation of me to leave the function of ambassador represented only the wish of the Prime Minister of Georgia,” says Tea Katukia.
After Tea Katukia resigned and spoke about the alleged pressure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that they were “surprised by the slanderous accusations made by her against the agency.” The agency stated that “the ambassador resigned based on a preliminary consultation with her, during which it was explained to Ms. Thea Katukia that the agency was not satisfied with her activities during her time as ambassador to France.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Tea Katukia failed to properly perform the duties assigned to her.
Tea Katukia announced her resignation on July 1 and cited ‘pressure’ as the reason.
No Party Should Stand Aside, They Should Unite and Cooperate, Says German Ambassador to Georgia H.E. Hubert Knirsch
German Ambassador to Georgia H.E. Hubert Knirsch told the media in response to a question regarding the 12 points of the European Commission's recommendations and depolarization that he is glad that work has started in Georgia regarding the 12 conditions expressed by the European Union.
“I am glad that work has started in Georgia regarding the 12 conditions expressed by the European Union. Political forces are thinking how to fulfill them. Also, people are coming to the streets to express their readiness for Georgia to join the European Union.”
According to Knirsch, it is important that all political forces that support Georgia’s European future, to participate, adding:
“No party should stand aside, they should unite and cooperate. This is what the European Union meant by emphasizing depolarization, which is an important point for Georgia in particular. We know that polarization is a negative characteristic of the Georgian political system. I have been serving in your country for 4 years, and during this period, everyone in Georgia, be it government and opposition representatives, civil society, just the people who live and work here, emphasize how important it is to overcome polarization. The European Union thinks the same. This is an effort that should be implemented by all parties together and at the same time,” German ambassador to Georgia said.
PM Gharibashvili Wanted Me to Resign, Says Former Ambassador to France Tea Katukia
The former ambassador of Georgia to France, Thea Katukia, says that her resignation “was solely the wish of Irakli Gharibashvili” and that she was told about it in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "in a very short telephone conversation.”
“Two months ago, during a very short telephone conversation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was clearly explained to me that the expectation of me to leave the function of ambassador represented only the wish of the Prime Minister of Georgia,” says Tea Katukia.
After Tea Katukia resigned and spoke about the alleged pressure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that they were “surprised by the slanderous accusations made by her against the agency.” The agency stated that “the ambassador resigned based on a preliminary consultation with her, during which it was explained to Ms. Thea Katukia that the agency was not satisfied with her activities during her time as ambassador to France.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Tea Katukia failed to properly perform the duties assigned to her.
Tea Katukia announced her resignation on July 1 and cited ‘pressure’ as the reason.
No Party Should Stand Aside, They Should Unite and Cooperate, Says German Ambassador to Georgia H.E. Hubert Knirsch
German Ambassador to Georgia H.E. Hubert Knirsch told the media in response to a question regarding the 12 points of the European Commission's recommendations and depolarization that he is glad that work has started in Georgia regarding the 12 conditions expressed by the European Union.
“I am glad that work has started in Georgia regarding the 12 conditions expressed by the European Union. Political forces are thinking how to fulfill them. Also, people are coming to the streets to express their readiness for Georgia to join the European Union.”
According to Knirsch, it is important that all political forces that support Georgia’s European future, to participate, adding:
“No party should stand aside, they should unite and cooperate. This is what the European Union meant by emphasizing depolarization, which is an important point for Georgia in particular. We know that polarization is a negative characteristic of the Georgian political system. I have been serving in your country for 4 years, and during this period, everyone in Georgia, be it government and opposition representatives, civil society, just the people who live and work here, emphasize how important it is to overcome polarization. The European Union thinks the same. This is an effort that should be implemented by all parties together and at the same time,” German ambassador to Georgia said.