FM: We expect Georgia-EU dialogue to be fully restored and cooperation to resume on terms set out in Association Agreement

“The collapse of the human rights dialogue cannot be attributed to any member of the Georgian delegation. The human rights dialogue was precisely the format that would have allowed the European Union to discuss with us the very issues it so frequently raises, issues it itself describes as matters of concern, and to have that conversation properly,” said Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili during an appearance on GPB First Channel’s programme Topic of the Day.

According to Botchorishvili, it was not Georgia that suspended the dialogue; that decision rests firmly with Brussels.

“We declared our full readiness for all relevant persons and institutions to participate in the dialogue, everyone capable of answering the EU side’s questions on the pertinent issues. Georgia compiled and submitted its delegation list in good faith. However, at the eleventh hour, it was the EU that made a decision which effectively rendered dialogue impossible. We issued an unambiguous statement on this matter, reaffirming our position. Regrettably, Brussels chose to exploit this situation once again, not as an opportunity to improve relations, but to undermine them. That is why, at this stage, engaging in selective, piecemeal dialogue is actively harmful for us.

We expect the entire restoration of all existing dialogue formats between Georgia and the European Union, with cooperation resuming across every area envisaged by the Association Agreement, whether in human rights, security, connectivity, or any other sector. None of this depends on us. I shall say it again: it was not Georgia that suspended the dialogue. That decision belongs to Brussels. The moment Brussels decides otherwise, we are ready immediately to engage in whatever form of dialogue it proposes,” Maka Botchorishvili has said.

For context, Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on November 19, 2025, concerning the postponement of the Georgia-EU human rights dialogue. The ministry stated that this hesitation reflected Brussels’s reluctance to engage with Georgia’s perspectives and concerns.