TBILISI, September 25 – Georgia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned the United Kingdom’s ambassador in Tbilisi, Gareth Ward, following a similar action against Germany’s envoy just a day earlier.
Ward arrived at the ministry but did not make any comments to reporters before entering the building, according to local media.
The summons comes less than 24 hours after German Ambassador Peter Fischer was called in by the ministry, the first such instance in modern Georgian-German relations. Fischer later described the step as a form of “diplomatic sanction” and said it marked a new low point in ties between the two countries.
Georgian Dream, which came to power thirteen years ago on a wave of popular support, has been facing increasing criticism from Western partners since the Ukraine crisis began a decade ago. The criticism highlights, on the one hand, treatment of civil society, the media, and its broader democratic trajectory, and on the other hand, alleged Kremlin alignment on foreign policy.
