MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili: Outdated information about Georgia on German Foreign Office’s website shows disrespect to our country

“The German side was well aware of the position taken by the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, and if other countries’ details have been updated whilst Georgia’s remain unchanged even after that public statement, it is simply beyond comprehension,” said MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili, a member of the parliamentary majority.

Sharmanashvili was responding to questions about the information currently displayed on the German Foreign Office’s official website regarding Georgia. Specifically, Berlin’s foreign affairs portal has not been updated to reflect the current state of affairs in Georgia: Salome Zourabichvili continues to be listed as the country’s president, whilst the equivalent entry for Syria has, notably, been amended.

In response, Sharmanashvili said this amounts to a show of disrespect towards the Georgian state.

“Failing to update the information, even after an official public statement by the Speaker of Parliament, is a pointed and unmistakable expression of contempt. This is a matter of deep regret and cannot be solely attributed to the personal attitude of a single ambassador. When the ministry itself follows the same course of action, it invites very troubling conclusions. I find it childish that they refuse to reflect reality. If they wish to demonstrate such an attitude towards the Georgian state, that is their prerogative. We are accustomed to this disrespect, but we will always stand firm in defending our sovereignty and interests, regardless of whether they choose to acknowledge it on their website or not.

A response has been made from the Georgian side. A public statement by the Speaker of Parliament on this matter is no less significant than the formal dispatch of a diplomatic note, and the German side was therefore fully aware, at the very least, of the Speaker’s position and of the reminder that had been issued. If this had been a routine update cycle, where information is refreshed periodically, and the timing was merely unfortunate, it might be understandable. But when other countries’ entries are being updated, and Georgia’s still is not, even after a formal statement, that is simply incomprehensible. This is especially so given that Georgia’s President addressed the UN General Assembly and spoke directly to the international community on Georgia’s position. If, even after that, the update was still somehow delayed, I genuinely could not have imagined it. Or rather, I could imagine it all too well. It is simply very sad,” Sharmanashvili said.