German Embassy in Tbilisi said the new ambassador-designate, Barbara Voss, has “officially” assumed her post in Georgia in times when bilateral relations are “marked by tensions,” a day after the diplomat presented a copy of her Letter of Credence at the Foreign Ministry.
Voss is yet to present her credentials to Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Voss “is taking over the leadership of the Embassy at a time when political relations between our countries are marked by tensions,” the German Embassy said in the August 27 statement. “All the more important, therefore, is our most important compass: the people in our two countries.”
“Germany and Georgia are intertwined through a dense, lively network of personal stories, partnerships, and civil society cooperation,” the Embassy said. “These human connections in art, culture, education, and everyday life are resilient to crisis. They are at the heart of what connects us.”
The Embassy said that the German commitment “to the people of Georgia and their pro-European course remains as strong as ever,” expressing the willingness “to deepen this exchange and keep dialogue across borders alive.”
The day before, on August 26, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that the German Ambassador-Designate had presented copies of her Letters of Credence to Zurab Darchiashvili, Director of the Ministry’s Diplomatic Protocol Directorate.
“The parties underscored the importance of the relations between Georgia and Germany and reaffirmed their readiness to further deepen bilateral cooperation,” the MFA said in a statement.
Voss succeeds Peter Fischer, an outspoken diplomat who announced the end of his tenure in late June.
A career diplomat, Voss has served in Germany’s foreign service since 1992, holding positions at the Foreign Office in Berlin and at diplomatic missions abroad. Most recently, she served as Germany’s consul general in Kolkata, India, from 2023 to 2026.
Voss arrives in Georgia following a turbulent period in bilateral relations. Fischer’s tenure was marked by his public criticism of Georgian Dream policies and anti-Western rhetoric, diplomatic summonses by the Georgian Foreign Ministry and the German Foreign Office, attacks and accusations against Fischer from Georgian Dream officials and allied media, and repeated statements from Berlin defending its ambassador.
In a separate controversy, Tbilisi raised concerns over Berlin delaying accepting the credentials of Georgian Ambassador Alexander Kartozia. Kartozia finally presented his credentials to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on July 23, ten months after his appointment in October 2025.
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