“We appreciate the European Union’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in general. It would be even more welcome if this support were to be expressed through concrete actions,” Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, told journalists.

The Prime Minister was responding to a question concerning a document initiated by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

“I won’t comment on individuals, but rather on the European Union as a whole. When the EU supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we warmly welcome it. Where a specific EU official offers criticism, we address that directly; and where they offer support, we thank them. This is a situation where we can genuinely express our gratitude to European politicians. However, there are also instances where their attitude towards the Georgian people is overly harsh or inappropriate, and in those cases, we do not shy away from criticism. Where they deserve praise, we will say thank you; where they deserve criticism, we will voice it,” Kobakhidze stated.

For context, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, remarked in Brussels today, ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, that “for genuine peace, Russia must withdraw its troops from all occupied territories, including Georgia.”