Romanian, Italian, Spanish foreign ministries reject Georgian PM’s claims on their support as ‘disinformation’

The Romanian, Italian, and Spanish foreign ministries on Tuesday rejected Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s assertion that their countries had supported Georgia’s stance at the December 16 EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

The ministries criticized the remarks as inaccurate and emphasized their alignment with the Council’s decisions, including proposed sanctions.

Romania’s Foreign Ministry expressed “strong disappointment” at what it called the “inaccurate representation of internal EU discussions” and voiced concern over Georgia’s decision to suspend its association dialogue with the EU. The ministry also condemned the “violent repression” of protests in Georgia.

Italy reaffirmed its condemnation of recent violence in Georgia and backed EU High Representative Kaja Kallas’ proposals, including sanctions. “Italy strongly supports the measures proposed by the High Representative and agreed to suspend diplomatic visas,” read the ministry’s statement, urging Tbilisi to reconsider actions obstructing its European integration.

Spain also dismissed the Georgian Prime Minister’s claims via a statement on X, highlighting serious concerns about civil rights in Georgia and an alleged disinformation campaign. “We fully support the decisions made at the Foreign Affairs Council. Disinformation is a threat to democracy, and we stand firmly against it,” the Spanish Foreign Ministry said.

The December 16 EU Foreign Affairs Council discussed Georgia amid growing concerns about governance and human rights in the country. While sanctions on Georgian Dream officials were not imposed, the Council approved measures to suspend visa-free travel for diplomatic and service passports.

At a December 17 briefing, Kobakhidze thanked Italy, Spain, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, claiming they defended “the interests of the Georgian people” during the Council discussions. However, the responses from the three countries underscore their alignment with the EU’s critical stance toward Georgia’s recent political trajectory.