We, the British side, have decided to freeze our annual high-level “Wardrop Dialogue” between ministers for the first time in ten years. This is the very first time that the dialogue format has been used. In an exclusive interview with InterpressNews, UK Ambassador Gareth Ward stated that the high-level defense staff talks were also cancelled and the new cyber-security program was suspended.
The ambassador expressed his hope that the Georgian government would return to a pro-Western path after the elections and that trust between the parties would be restored.
“I expected that we would work to strengthen Georgia‘s resilient and our common prosperity. But over the last year, the Georgian Government has chosen a completely different course. During my first months in Tbilisi, I had to express our concerns about the decline in democracy and anti-Western rhetoric. I hope the Georgian government changes its approach and allows me to regain my optimism.
The Georgian government’s actions this year have damaged relations between Great Britain and Georgia as well as other Western partners. We were concerned when a law was passed restricting the civil society’s activities, despite the opposition of the public. The parliament also promised not to bring this law back onto the agenda. We were disappointed that the leaders of Georgian Dream started to promote conspiracy theories, and made assumptions that Western partners were undermining Georgia. We were shocked to learn that “Georgian Dream’s” election program included the promise of banning opposition parties.
We, the British side have decided, for the first 10 years, to freeze the annual ‘Wardrop Dialogue,’ the high-level dialogue between ministers. This is the very first time that the dialogue format has been used. We also cancelled planned high-level discussions between the defense chiefs, and put on hold a new cybersecurity program. We hope to see, after the elections, a return to the Euroatlantic path to rebuild trust, and a return of a close partnership, regardless of the government.
Read More @ www.interpressnews.ge