Representatives of Georgia’s ruling party have responded to remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that NATO is “highly worried” about developments taking place in Georgia.
On Nov. 24, Rutte was interviewed by Rikard Jozwiak, RFE/RL’s editor for European affairs. During the conversation, Jozwiak asked the NATO Secretary General:
“The European Union has decided to review its relationship with Georgia. Are you doing the same and are they still an aspirant country?”
Rutte replied that any country in the Euro-Atlantic space wishing to join NATO can formally express this desire, after which the corresponding process begins. He then added:
“Obviously, I am not naive about what is happening in Georgia. We are highly worried. We have made this clear to the Georgians.”
He continued: “ We have our cooperation with them. I think that cooperation itself serves a purpose now, also, to make sure that we have this channel to make clear what our worries are.”
Rutte also urged a broader regional perspective when assessing Georgia’s trajectory, highlighting developments across the South Caucasus.
“Let’s also look at this whole thing a bit holistic, because there is Georgia but we should also view what is happening between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which seems to be in a much better place thanks also to what President Trump has been doing. So I would also look at Georgia in the context of the whole South Caucasus,” Rutte stated.
Georgian Dream’s reaction
Tbilisi Mayor and Georgian Dream Secretary General Kakha Kaladze linked Russian aggression in Georgia in 2008 and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to NATO’s interests.
He stated: “Countries like Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and others are often used for someone else’s interests.”
Kaladze added that Georgia must not sacrifice its interests:
“We must not sacrifice our national interests for theirs, as happened in 2008, and as is happening in Ukraine… We must be extremely cautious so that no one uses our country’s interests for their own purposes.”
He also said: “For 30 years we have been requesting NATO membership, and nothing has been done — not only has nothing been done, not even a single step has been taken.”
The controversial Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, declared: “If we are talking about naivety, the Georgian people are no longer naive regarding such statements. The Georgian people clearly see what we are dealing with. It has been 17 years since they said the door was open in 2008.”
He added: “Pointing fingers at us and questioning us must end. The Georgian people are no longer naive to tolerate such finger-pointing. The ball is entirely in NATO’s court. Georgia has done everything to become a NATO member.”
Georgian Dream has intensified its anti-Western narrative, regularly accusing the U.S., EU, and NATO of attempting to “drag Georgia into war.”