Georgian Deputy FM attends Iran-organized memorial at Tbilisi Embassy

Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili participated in a memorial event held by the Iranian Embassy in Tbilisi on June 30 and July 1, according to a statement posted by the Embassy on July 2. The event was dedicated to honoring what the Embassy referred to as “martyrs who died during the Israeli regime’s armed attack against Iran’s territorial integrity.”

The memorial was attended by ambassadors from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, Iraq’s chargé d’affaires, China’s military attaché, members of the Iranian diaspora, Georgian scholars specializing in Iranian studies, and religious leaders, including the chair of Georgia’s Muslim Administration. Participants reportedly signed a condolence book and expressed solidarity with Iran.

“We express our deep thanks to our friends and partners in this difficult period for their support and empathy,” the Embassy noted in its Facebook post.

The Deputy Minister’s participation comes amid heightened criticism of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s warming relations with Tehran. Earlier, on June 13, the Georgian Foreign Ministry made a cautious statement regarding rising tensions between Iran and Israel, expressing “deep concerns” over the situation in the Middle East and calling for “diplomatic efforts to achieve de-escalation and ensure stability.”

Despite this measured official position, GD has faced mounting domestic and international scrutiny over its evolving foreign policy. In 2024, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze made two official visits to Iran: first for the funeral of late President Ebrahim Raisi, and later for the inauguration of his successor, Masoud Pezeshkian. During the latter, Kobakhidze appeared alongside Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed days later in a targeted strike.