Georgian government refused to allow the President to make visits to Europe and Ukraine

Georgian government bans president from travelling to Europe

The Georgian government has prevented President Salome Zurabishvili from making her planned visits to Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Israel. The President intended to hold a series of meetings with world leaders to lobby their support for granting Georgia the status of candidate country for EU membership.

The government’s decision was published on 30 August, just after the presidential administration announced Salome Zurabishvili’s visit to Germany starting the next day and her planned meeting with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

“On 12 July 2023, the Presidential Administration approached the government with a request about Salome Zurabishvili’s intention to visit Germany. The request was officially rejected in writing on 3 August 2023 by a decree of the Government of Georgia, in accordance with the relevant article of the Constitution of Georgia.

We remind the President that in accordance with subparagraph “a” of paragraph 1 of Article 52 of the Constitution of Georgia, the President of Georgia exercises representative powers in foreign relations only with the consent of the Government, since according to paragraph 1 of Article 54 of the Constitution, the implementation of the country’s foreign policy is under the jurisdiction of the Government,” the report reads.

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The government’s decision sparked outrage from civil society in Georgia.

“Not everyone needs the government’s permission to come to Europe and talk about the importance of granting Georgia the status of an EU candidate country. You will block the President – nothing, more lobbyists from Georgia will eventually come to Europe. And we will soon do other things too. And the president, in my opinion, should also go despite the refusal,” former public defender Nino Lomjaria wrote on Facebook.