Georgia rejects EU foreign ministers’ meeting invitation over diplomatic snub

Tbilisi has declined an invitation to attend the upcoming EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting scheduled for October 20 in Luxembourg, citing diplomatic protocol concerns and expressing deep dissatisfaction with the European Union’s handling of the invitation process.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia stated that the invitation was extended at the ambassadorial level, rather than to the foreign minister himself — a move the Georgian government interpreted as a diplomatic slight, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

"Georgia will abstain from participating in the ministerial meeting on connectivity, slated for October 20 in Luxembourg, as the European External Action Service has extended invitations to the foreign ministers of Central Asian and Eastern Partnership countries — namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan — solely at the ambassadorial level," the ministry said in an official statement.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry strongly criticized the European External Action Service’s (EEAS) approach, labeling it “unacceptable and incomprehensible.” Tbilisi underscored that Georgia’s active engagement in regional security and connectivity initiatives serves the broader strategic interests of the EU, particularly in light of ongoing geopolitical shifts in the region.

“This represents a disregard not only for geopolitical realities but also for basic geographical facts,” the statement read, suggesting that Georgia’s exclusion at the ministerial level was both inappropriate and illogical, given the country's location and strategic importance.

The ministry further warned that such treatment risks fueling political speculation and emboldening radical narratives within Georgia’s domestic political landscape. It also hinted at frustration over what it perceives as Brussels’ inconsistent approach to its Eastern partners.

Nonetheless, Tbilisi expressed confidence that the majority of EU member states continue to recognize Georgia’s critical role as a connectivity hub linking Europe and Asia, and it voiced hope that these states do not align with the EEAS's stance.

By Vafa Guliyeva