“In relation to the nine steps, it is important to emphasise that they also pertain to the involvement of the opposition in the Georgian Parliament. The process concerns the elections; therefore, when identifying those responsible for implementing the nine steps, the opposition must also bear its share of responsibility,” stated Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili in Parliament.

During an interpellation, she explained that the unfounded policy of refusing to recognise the elections and the opposition’s refusal to engage in the democratic process had given European bureaucrats a platform, highlighting what she described as the so-called democratic regression.

“That is why, for example, Kaja Kallas did not invite Georgia to the ministerial on connectivity scheduled for October 20, 2025, where all five Central Asian states were invited, along with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey. It was precisely the ‘democratic regression’ that resulted in Georgia’s exclusion from this forum, which is quite laughable. This approach is paradoxical: a country that today is a key partner for the European Union in terms of connectivity, especially regarding connections with Central Asia, is not at the negotiating table,” Botchorishvili explained.