Main image: Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili (Giorgi Abdaladze/CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)
Lithuania will provide asylum to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili if necessary.
Senior advisor to the Lithuanian president, Asta Skaisgirytė, made this statement during a television broadcast, as reported by Delfi.
“Of course, Lithuania would offer asylum if the need arose, but at the moment, President Zourabichvili has made it very clear that she will stand with her people in Tbilisi,” said Skaisgirytė.
It should be noted that last week, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from the ruling Georgian Dream party announced that the country would not negotiate EU membership until the end of 2028. This decision sparked a wave of protests across Georgia. Protesters faced rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons, with police arresting hundreds of demonstrators.
On Saturday, Georgia’s ambassador to Lithuania, Salome Shapakidze, resigned in protest against the government’s decision to freeze EU membership talks. Later that evening, reports circulated on social media that Georgia’s representative to the United States, David Zalkaliani, was also resigning. Additionally, Georgia’s ambassador to the Czech Republic, Teia Maisuradze, stepped down following Georgian Dream's decision to abandon EU accession talks.
In December 2023, Georgia gained EU candidate status alongside Ukraine and Moldova. However, relations have since deteriorated rapidly, as the ruling party has become increasingly critical of Europe and seeks to limit “foreign influence” within the country. As a result, Brussels has also frozen the integration process. Meanwhile, the opposition remains committed to a European course, accusing the government of manipulating elections to secure power.
