British Ambassador slams Georgian Government’s actions, cites strain in Western ties

The British Ambassador to Georgia, Gareth Ward, has expressed concerns about the “deterioration in relations” between Georgia and its Western allies, attributing it to the policies pursued by the Georgian Dream government over the past year.

In his comments for the domestic media, Ward highlighted a “decline in democratic standards” and the “rise of anti-Western rhetoric” as key issues affecting the partnership.

“I expected that we would work together to strengthen Georgia’s resilience and our common prosperity, but over the past year, the Georgian government has chosen a different course,” said Ward. He noted his disappointment with Georgia’s ruling party for “promoting conspiracy theories” and suggesting that Western partners were “undermining” Georgia. He was also “shocked” by the party’s election program promise to ban opposition parties.

The diplomat’s remarks also included criticism of the foreign influence transparency law, initiated and adopted by the ruling GD party earlier this year despite sharp criticism from allies for its alleged influence on the domestic civil sector and freedom of expression.

As a consequence of these developments, the UK has decided to freeze its annual high-level Wardrop Dialogue with the Georgian authorities, marking the first suspension since the format’s inception a decade ago.

Planned high-level talks between defense officials have also been canceled, and a new cybersecurity program has been put on hold. Ward expressed hope for a shift in the government’s approach after the upcoming elections on October 26, emphasizing the need for Georgia to “demonstrate a commitment” to the Euro-Atlantic path in order to “restore trust” and return to close partnership.

Tensions further escalated following US sanctions announced in September. Washington targeted Zviad Kharazishvili, the head of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, his deputy Mileri Lagazauri, and leaders of the ultranationalist Conservative Movement, Konstantine Morgoshia and Zurab Makharadze, citing anti-democratic actions. More than 60 additional visa bans were imposed on Georgian individuals accused of undermining democracy.

Reacting to the sanctions, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described them as “frivolous and very sad”, suggesting they were intended to “influence” the elections. He further claimed that the decision was driven by “informal forces influencing the Biden administration”. The US Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunigan, countered Kobakhidze’s remarks, stressing the recent “anti-democratic actions and misinformation” about the West “do not serve the interests of the Georgian people”.