Danish Ambassador Anne Toft Sørensen Summoned to Foreign Ministry for Op-Ed Clarifications
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, January 12, 2024
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released information stating that Anne Toft Sørensen, the Ambassador of Denmark to Georgia, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and has been asked for clarifications regarding her Op-Ed and "incorrect facts and political assessments."
In an article published in the Danish newspaper Jyllandsposten, the ambassador referred to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgian Dream, as an oligarch and noted that he had accumulated his wealth in Russia in the 90s.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting, the Georgian side expressed regret that the publication contained significant factual inaccuracies and non-objective assessments, which did not contribute to the formation of a positive attitude from the international community, including Danish readers, towards the country.
"The Ambassador's Op-Ed was used for political interpretations by separate forces, which naturally hinders the effective implementation of the main task defined by the European Union for the country: depolarization.
At the meeting, the Danish side expressed concern over and stated that the article was intended to support Georgia's integration into the European Union on the part of Denmark. Unfortunately, it was used in a negative context by opponents," the statement reads.
According to the statement from the Danish Embassy in Georgia, "an excerpt has been removed from the Danish article, which is used in Georgian debates without context. The Embassy has no desire to contribute to the above and refrains from additional comments," IPN reports.
The embassy stated that Denmark has supported Georgia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration and will continue to be a supporter, fostering cooperation for Georgia's accession to the European Union.
"The article was written for a Danish newspaper following the historic decision to grant EU candidate status to Georgia. It emphasizes Georgia's clear desire to continue its EU integration and focuses on the contribution that Denmark can make to support Georgia, including through the newly opened embassy, in areas such as the green transition, peace, stability, and cooperation. Denmark has consistently supported Georgia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration and will continue to be a supporter of cooperation for Georgia's accession to the European Union, actively participating in the implementation of reforms.
We observe an excerpt from a Danish article being used out of context in Georgian debates. The embassy has no desire to contribute to this matter and refrains from additional comments," reads the statement from the Danish Embassy.
