Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili is attending the Paris Peace Forum in France, where she took part in a discussion on children’s rights. Separately, the press team of Georgia’s fifth President Salome Zourabichvili, a fierce opponent of the ruling party, also reported that she attended the summit’s event.
Botchorishvili’s visit comes amid Georgian Dream’s wider isolation from Western forums, alongside its efforts to maintain engagement with European capitals and Western political circles that have reduced contacts with Tbilisi over democratic concerns and the ruling party’s confrontational rhetoric.
Zourabichvili, who left the Orbeliani Presidential Palace in late 2024 after the Georgian Dream-dominated electoral college elected Mikheil Kavelashvili as president following the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections, emerged as a voice of resistance to Georgian Dream rule, including on the international stage, in the months that followed. Her role, however, became less prominent as the political crisis dragged on.
Established in 2018, the Paris Peace Forum brings together political leaders and senior representatives of international organizations and partner institutions to “address pressing issues on the international agenda and discuss ways and opportunities to strengthen international cooperation,” according to the Georgian MFA.
Botchorishvili’s Visit
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry reported on Botchorishvili’s participation in a high-level discussion titled “Children First: Making the Case for Investing in Children.” She was also scheduled to attend an official reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, according to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.
According to the official press release, during the discussion on children, Botchorishvili highlighted “the occupation of two regions of Georgia by Russia continues to have a profound impact on the daily lives of the local population, particularly children,” emphasizing “the restrictions on the right to receive education in native language, which threaten children’s ability to preserve their identity and maintain their ties with their own country.”
She was also quoted as saying that the Russian occupation of Georgian territories “continues to affect the lives of children to this day, with serious restrictions on their fundamental rights remaining part of their everyday reality.”
Botchorishvili further stressed “the importance of peace for Georgia,” saying that over the past decade, preventing conflict and maintaining peace have remained “among the country’s foremost national priorities.” She pointed to the challenges “facing children and young people living in the occupied regions, noting the adverse impact of unresolved conflicts on their daily lives and future opportunities.”
Following the discussion, Botchorishvili met with her Honduran counterpart, Mireya Agüero, on November 10.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the two reviewed “various aspects of bilateral and multilateral cooperation” and underscored “the importance of deepening political dialogue and expressed readiness to hold the next round of bilateral political consultations.” They also discussed “opportunities to enhance cooperation within international organizations.”
Zourabichvili’s Visit
Separately, Georgia’s fifth President Salome Zourabichvili is also attending the forum in the French capital.
According to Zourabichvili’s press team, she attended the “Children First: A Global Commitment to Child Wellbeing” session, noting that French President Emmanuel Macron was among the event’s main speakers.
The press release also said that Zourabichvili is scheduled to attend a dinner at the Élysée Palace for forum participants.
She is also scheduled to take part in a Spotlight Interview titled “Hybrid Threats on Democracy: The Case of Georgia” on November 11.
More to follow…
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