“We used every other instrument, such as personal meetings, public appeals, explanations, but we see that in some cases this did not work. Therefore, it was important to use this diplomatic measure, summoning the ambassador, to explain to them that no one should violate the rules-based international order,” Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili declared.

According to Papuashvili, everyone must submit to rules and conventions.

“These appeals don’t work in one direction. Everyone must submit to rules and conventions, in this case, the Vienna Convention. Unfortunately, this is absolutely ignored by some diplomats. We also saw yesterday’s statement from the Foreign Ministry. They explained to Peter Fischer what the Vienna Convention means, what Article 41 means and what examples of interference they provided. Yesterday, we also heard from Peter Fischer, including statements from the German Foreign Ministry, indicating that there are purported disinformation and false narratives that the Georgian Foreign Ministry has officially requested the German side to provide examples of such false narratives, disinformation, and attacks. To this day, we haven’t received explanations and examples regarding this.

As I understand it, even during the meeting, these examples were not explicitly mentioned. Do you remember how, for a certain period, the term ‘perceptions’ was practically embedded in the political lexicon, as if perceptions alone determined everything? One could say anything, claim someone has a perception, or assert that someone is doing something, and this would be taken as proof, even without evidence, simply based on illusions or imagination. We have eliminated this term from the Georgian political lexicon and confronted it with facts. Today, no one dares to speak solely on perceptions without supporting arguments. We ask everyone to provide facts.

When we speak about encouraging extremism, we cite a specific example. Regarding Peter Fischer, we gave a specific example. Specifically, there exists a group which approached a female MP, who was with her minor child, insulted her, and called her a slave. The next day, they came out again and were chanting this at the female MP, who was with an underage child. After the incident, Peter Fischer met this group, took photos, posted them on Twitter and said that these people are Georgia’s future.

Now, Peter Fischer or one of his sympathisers should say that approaching a female MP, who is with an underage child, attacking with terminology aimed at dehumanisation, insulting, calling her a slave, is not radicalism. Then let them bring an argument.

Secondly, when you meet these people and say ‘these are Georgia’s future’, this is encouraging radicalism. I await a response regarding this. Insult and attack are not protected by freedom of expression. This is the answer.

We saw the embassies’ statement, where they state that this isn’t true. This isn’t immaturity; if something isn’t true, one must provide an argument.

We say that there are cases of encouraging radicalism, such as how the EU finances a person, and EU Ambassador saying, “I can’t remember her surname, we launched a Wi-Fi hotspot and it was a great honour”; the EU pays a salary to a person who calls for political murder, mocks, speaks disgracefully about a deceased politician’s death. When you finance this, this is encouraging radicalism.

EU money goes to ensuring the existence of groups which dehumanise their own opponents, which call for political murder, for overthrow. Imagine if Georgia’s ambassador met leaders of the Yellow Vests, Antifa leaders, or Reichsbürger in Germany, their leaders. Not just met, then took photos and said, “These are the future.”

No one should regard the Georgian people as fools. Let them speak to others like that. Let them be so kind as to present a proper argument when claiming that something is untrue. Waving hands and making accusations without evidence is an insult to the Georgian people,” declared Papuashvili.

German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer was summoned to the Foreign Ministry yesterday, September 24. Today, Britain’s ambassador, Gareth Ward, was at the Foreign Ministry, too.