NATO and EU Information Centre in Georgia to close July 1, staff dismissed

Starting July 1, the Georgian government will shut down the NATO and European Union Information Centre, which will be absorbed into the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under a broader restructuring plan. 

Employees of the information centre have already been informed of their termination, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

The centre was initially created in 2005 by presidential decree from then-President Mikheil Saakashvili, during a time of escalating tensions between Georgia and Western governments.

Tamara Tsuleiskiri, the centre’s director, denied claims that the centre was being closed outright, calling such reports speculative. She explained that the restructuring is being conducted transparently and that in the future, its functions will be carried out by the European Integration Department within the Foreign Ministry’s central office.

“The public is already aware that a comprehensive reform is underway within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Structural changes are affecting both the ministry itself and the public legal entities that operate under its umbrella,” Tsuleiskiri said.

Previously, Temur Sukashvili, a representative of the centre, disclosed on Facebook that there were plans to dissolve the legal entity that represented the NATO and EU Information Centre.

At the end of May, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili claimed that Western pressure on Tbilisi had intensified since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to him, the European Union has treated Georgia unfairly despite the country holding official EU candidate status.

Kavelashvili also pointed out that this was not the first time Western leaders had tried to pressure Georgia. Back in February, he asserted that the West had encouraged Georgia to participate in the conflict following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. He accused European governments of attempting to push Georgia into a war with Russia.

Meanwhile, a Eurobarometer public opinion poll revealed a significant drop in trust toward the EU among Georgians. While 66% of respondents expressed support for the EU six months ago, only 49% do so now. Nearly one-third of those surveyed expressed a negative view of the bloc.

By Tamilla Hasanova