Georgia’s U.S. Ambassador, Congressman, Abraham Hamadeh review significance of bilateral cooperation development

According to Trump, Orbán works tirelessly to defend Hungary, grow the economy, create jobs, promote trade, stop illegal immigration, and ensure law and order. The U.S. President also wished him success in the parliamentary elections and expressed hope that Orbán would win. “Hungary’s highly respected Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is truly a strong and powerful leader with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results. He fights tirelessly, loves his great country and its people, just as I love the United States of America. Viktor works hard to defend Hungary, grow the economy, create jobs, promote trade, stop illegal immigration, and ensure law and order! Relations between Hungary and the United States have reached new heights of cooperation, and remarkable achievements during my administration were largely made possible thanks to Prime Minister Orbán. I look forward to continuing our close cooperation so that both our countries can move forward on this tremendous path toward success and partnership. I was proud to support Viktor in his re-election in 2022, and it is a great honor to do so once again. Viktor Orbán is a true friend, a fighter, and a winner, and he has my full support for re-election as Prime Minister of Hungary — he will never disappoint the great people of Hungary!” Trump wrote. For reference, Hungary’s parliamentary elections will be held on April 12.

I thought that the main thing for us was to work so that no one would recognize the occupied territories, but it seems that their priority has changed and today it has become: “Recognize me, recognize me” - this law does not apply to Salome Zurabishvili, it applies to everyone, - the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, stated on Radio Palitra, answering the question whether she expects her arrest, if the legislative initiative comes into force to impose criminal liability on a person who does not recognize the legitimacy of constitutional bodies and publicly calls on others to do similar things."I wouldn't ask the question like that, there is no answer to that. In fact, it is not only directed at me, it is more directed at others, namely, that some political force, union should not question their legitimacy. Why are they so upset about this?! They say I am crazy... I know only a few examples of forced recognitions:First: the devil says to Christ, recognize me.Second: Islamic empires asked our saints to recognize them, to change their faith.Third: the Soviet period, when everyone was asked to the recognition. They would arrest you, they would judge you, the main thing was to sign the recognition.I thought that the main thing for us was to work so that no one would recognize the occupied territories, it seems that their priority has changed, today it has become: "Recognize me, recognize me".I am not the main object. Everyone says that the parliament and the government are legitimate. I am one person who does not change anything. They need from others, from opposition parties, from society. This law does not apply to Salome Zurabishvili, it applies to everyone. We remember the law adopted on business... Their main tool is to have as many laws as necessary so that the sword of Damocles hangs over everyone in a high-stakes position," Zurabishvili noted, adding: "I am not going anywhere, why should I go."As for other issues, Salome Zurabishvili assessed the fact that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Maka Botchorishvili, on the one hand, and the opposition politician Giorgi Gakharia, currently living in Germany, are participating in the Munich Security Conference."This year, there was no opportunity, which I consider necessary, to appear on one of the panels. I have not heard that Botchorishvili or Gakharia are participating in any of the panels. Many people can attend. It is important where you are and how much you can use the platform there," Zurabishvili noted.

“My gratitude to my colleague Zoran Milanović and his spouse for their visit, for appreciating our country. We hope we will meet many times and will have the opportunity to upgrade Georgia-Croatia mutual cooperation to the highest level,” wrote Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili in his Facebook post.According to Kavelashvili, the President of Croatia completed his visit.“The official visit of President of Croatia Zoran Milanović and his spouse Sanja Music Milanović to Georgia has been completed today. My spouse and I are happy to have met Mr. Zoran and Ms. Sanja.We hope that we will meet many times and will have the opportunity to upgrade Georgia-Croatia mutual cooperation to the highest level. My gratitude to my colleague Zoran Milanović and his spouse for his visit, for appreciating our country,” wrote Mikheil Kavelashvili.

“The website of the German Federal Foreign Office continues to list Salome Zourabichvili as President of Georgia and Ilia Darchiashvili as Foreign Minister,” said Georgia’s Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili.He described the situation as shameful, contemptible conduct that is actively damaging relations between Georgia and Germany.“In his most recent interview, the German Ambassador was, in my view, rather disingenuously expressing concern that relations between Georgia and Germany had deteriorated, and attempting to lay the blame at the door of the Georgian Government.I have a straightforward question. On the German Foreign Ministry’s official website, a brief entry is maintained for every country in the world, listing the President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister. In Georgia’s case, this information has not been updated once since October 2024, that is, since the elections, even though, as a matter of routine, every country’s data is refreshed every six months. Georgia’s entry still shows Salome Zourabichvili as President and Ilia Darchiashvili as Foreign Minister.With whom, then, is the German Ambassador actually in communication? When he was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, whom did he meet? Did he happen to spot Ilia Darchiasvhili anywhere, in an office or a corridor perhaps? What we are witnessing is, frankly, disgraceful. This is, of course, no clerical oversight by some anonymous web administrator, and the German Ambassador is welcome to correct me if I am wrong.If Germany’s web administrator manages not to forget Russia, a country about which the former German Foreign Minister Baerbock declared they were at war, and keeps that entry current; if Syria does not slip their mind and gets updated; if Iran, about which they are often so passionately vocal, is never overlooked, then not a single country in the entire world is forgotten by this mythical ‘IT person’ on whom someone might conveniently try to pin the blame for Georgia having been left out. This is the contemptible conduct that is genuinely damaging the relationship between Georgia and Germany,” Papuashvili said.He went on to say that the Georgian people want to know what has happened to Germany, that its Ambassador appears intent on undermining Georgian democracy, and that an answer to this question is owed.“The German Ambassador’s mission to Georgia spans all of three years. Many of us, myself included, have longstanding personal and professional ties to Germany and the German people, rooted in years of education and experience. What grounds does he have for concern, compared to the concern we feel about what this leadership has done to Georgian-German relations, to a thirty-year friendship built brick by brick between our two countries and governments, I stress, a friendship that began in the era of Genscher and in which Germany’s reputation in Georgian society was exceptionally high?Today, when I meet people, they ask me about what has happened to Germany. Why is this country, the first to open an embassy in Georgia, now behaving like this? Today, Germany is represented in the eyes of the Georgian people, through the actions of its Ambassador, as though it were a country intent on being the first to undermine Georgian democracy. This is what our citizens are asking us: what has happened to Germany, that its Ambassador is trying to undermine Georgian democracy? So, give the Georgian people an answer on this. And while you are at it, perhaps introduce us to this ‘IT person,’ perhaps they are a Georgian, some UNM supporter, trying to damage Georgia from the inside. I, for one, am waiting for a response,” Papuashvili said.

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to move Ambassador Marge Mardisalu-Kahari from Tbilisi to Yerevan and end her posting as Georgian ambassador. Chargé d’Affaires Gita Kalmet will head the embassy before the appointment of a new ambassador.According to the Estonian Public Broadcaster, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 11 informed Georgia’s chargé d’affaires that Estonia’s Ambassador to Georgia, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, will conclude her mission in Tbilisi on March 10, the ministry’s press service said. Until a new ambassador is appointed, Estonia’s Embassy in Georgia will be headed by Chargé d’Affaires Gita Kalmet, the ministry added.A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to specify when a new ambassador to Georgia might be appointed.The Estonian Foreign Ministry noted on its website that Estonia has long contributed to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. However, in light of the Georgian authorities’ systematic drift away from democracy, including shortcomings in meeting the conditions set for European Union candidate status, supporting Georgian state institutions is no longer an Estonian foreign policy priority. Estonia continues to support the development of civil society and free media, it added.Estonia also reaffirmed its consistent support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, noting that one Estonian expert is serving with the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia.