Georgian Ambassador to France resigns amid "pressure and insults"
Georgian Ambassador to France resigns
Georgian Ambassador to France Thea Katukia resigned amid “pressure from the Georgian Foreign Ministry”. Katukia issued a statement on her resignation today.
According to the former ambassador, she submitted her resignation letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on May 1 and it came into force today.
“From the very first day, I witnessed a number of serious violations and structural failures in the embassy, which significantly harms the interests and image of the Georgian representation in France. I never could have imagined that I would have to perform this function in the face of constant insults, slander, pressure, harassment and threats coming from deeply rooted in the clan system and clientelist practices that are contrary to the values that I stand for and the goals and aspirations that I have for Georgia”, says Katukia.
According to Katukia, the Georgian government also found her professional path abroad and her “political impartiality” unacceptable.
According to the former ambassador, Georgia’s diplomatic service faces significant personnel and structural problems, which hinders the implementation of an effective foreign policy of the country.
In 2019, Thea Katukia was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to France and Permanent Representative to UNESCO.
From 2012 until her appointment as Ambassador, Thea Katouchia served as Secretary General for Research at one of the most prominent French think tanks, the Center for the Prevention and Analysis of International Threats.
Since 2012, she had acted as Editor-in-Chief of the French magazine Diplomatie for international relations, while at the same time managing two international publications: Green Innovation and Blue Innovation. In 2011-2012 she took on the role of the general secretary of the Arion Group media group.
