Tbilisi: In a very strange development the new foreign minister of Ukraine announced that he would recall Chargé D’Affaires Mykhailo Kharyshyn from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The minister cited his lack of understanding of the realities of diplomacy in a time of war.
The foreign minister of Ukraine stated “I am very clear about the criteria which every ambassador of Ukraine has to follow. The Georgian ambassador must have exceptional courage and proactivity to prove the skills at the international level. Our ambassadors cannot detach themselves from the realities of war the country faces.”
The Foreign Minister further added, “ I always supported those ambassadors who have the courage to represent the country at an interactive level while keeping the reality of war active. This becomes necessary because today, every ambassador is required to work more effectively.”
He further said “Every Ambassador must be a player-coach who should not always need instruction from the center every time. Rather he should be capable enough to make some tough decisions on his own. On the other hand the Georgian PM slammed the decision of the Ukraine foreign minister. The Prime Minister said “This is not a kind decision like the decision of 2022.”
The PM mentioned that this is not a purely political act and cannot be justified. He also added that a diplomat is not an ordinary official. It is wrong to declare any person inappropriate and ineffective due to ongoing war.
It is worth noting that there were no ambassadors from Georgia and Ukraine in each country. Notably a few days after the outbreak of the war, Ukraine recalled its ambassador from the Republic of Georgia. The reason was the “immoral position” of the then Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s cabinet on Russian sanctions.
However after a year, the Ukrainian foreign ministry again summoned the Georgian ambassador to express a protest. They also ordered the Georgian Ambassador’s departure from Ukraine within 48 hours to hold further consultations with officials of his country.