{"id":2037482,"date":"2026-07-10T19:36:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2037482"},"modified":"2026-07-10T19:36:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:36:46","slug":"georgia-left-off-nato-summit-partner-list-as-critics-decry-isolation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2037482","title":{"rendered":"Georgia left off NATO summit partner list as critics decry isolation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/83\/42\/22\/1200x675_cmsv2_739e7290-8070-522e-bf23-82054a2faec2-9834222.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2908997-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2908997\" data-cid=\"9834243\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2908997-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" 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Bisbal del Pened\u00e8s residents indoors\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908977-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2908977\" data-cid=\"9834175\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2908977-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/83\/41\/75\/189x106_cmsv2_31b60d6d-e100-5c29-88cc-37a8d11d067b-9834175.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"National Park Service workers stand near a pump placed next to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, 10 July, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Crews drain Lincoln Memorial pool again as part of troubled revamp\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          News<\/p>\n<p>                          World<\/p>\n<p>                          Georgia<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Georgia left off NATO summit partner list as critics decry isolation<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/83\/42\/22\/1536x864_cmsv2_739e7290-8070-522e-bf23-82054a2faec2-9834222.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"FILE: Georgia&apos;s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze speaks during the Independence Day celebrations in Tbilisi, 26 May 2025\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              FILE: Georgia&#8217;s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze speaks during the Independence Day celebrations in Tbilisi, 26 May 2025<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspPeter Barabas\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1783712206\">\n                    Published on                 <time datetime=\"2026-07-10 21:36:46 +02:00\">10\/07\/2026 &#8211; 21:36 GMT+2<\/time><span class=\"c-article-publication-date__bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Updated<br \/>\n                                     <time datetime=\"21:37\">21:37<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span 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loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        The Georgian government is facing accusations of international isolation after not being invited to the NATO summit in Turkey, the first time a key partner has been excluded from the alliance&#8217;s agenda.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Georgia\u2019s political and civil society spheres have been gripped by a renewed debate over why its government was once again not invited to the NATO summit in Turkey and to regional political and security events, a possible sign of Tbilisi\u2019s political isolation.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As with previous summits, NATO partner countries such as Qatar, the UAE, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia as well as Ukraine were invited to Ankara to attend events focusing on regional security, whereas, for the first time, former key NATO partner Georgia did not appear in the official summit programme nor in the accompanying forums.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past decade, Georgia has consistently declared its approach to the EU and NATO as national strategies, but this time Tbilisi was absent from the alliance agenda, prompting a political debate in Georgia over whether the country has lost its political influence or relevance.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia\u2019s ruling party representatives claimed that the summit in Ankara did not include the type of meetings Georgia used to attend in the past and rejected accusations of political isolation. <\/p>\n<p>Georgian Dream MP Irakli Kirtskhalia told the press in Tbilisi that \u201cwe have no problem attending the summit, ask the organizers why we are not represented.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Georgia\u2019s Foreign Ministry replied that Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili was going to attend a separate event in Turkey called \u201cAllies in Ankara,\u201d but that it was part of the Munich Security Conference, which critics noted was not connected to the NATO summit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is an important opportunity for Georgia to present the country\u2019s positions and its regional role to partners,\u201d Botchorishvili said, describing the alternative event.<\/p>\n<p>Opposition Lelo party representative Grigol Gegelia countered that, for the first time in Georgia\u2019s history, the country is not represented at the NATO summit itself.<\/p>\n<p>In turn, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili travelled to Tehran to attend the funeral of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside a small number of other regional leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Georgian political analyst Paata Zakareishvili has claimed that the absence of NATO\u2019s invitation to its regional security debates represents what he called the loss of trust by Georgia\u2019s partners.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeorgia is being ignored. There is a view that it is better not to maintain relations with it because no one knows what information Georgia might pass on to Russia. Georgia is seen as an unreliable, vulnerable, and toxic state,&#8221; Zakareishvili said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeorgia should have been present at this summit as an honoured guest,\u201d he pointed out, given the country\u2019s significance in the Black Sea and Caucasus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCountries that are not NATO members will attend the summit in Turkey. Georgia is a country aspiring to join NATO. Georgia and Ukraine used to move towards NATO membership together,&#8221; Zakareishvili said. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Georgia is no longer being considered anywhere. We are not meeting the required conditions and that is one of the reasons why we are not invited to join the group of countries we should have been part of,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Georgia\u2019s former ambassador to NATO Levan Dolidze said that &#8220;Georgia is now effectively in confrontation with its former strategic partners which is clearly affecting the country&#8217;s relations with NATO and the EU,\u201d because \u201ca foreign policy that leads to international isolation is causing significant harm to our country\u2019s national interests.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a time when Georgia was NATO\u2019s most valuable partner. Unfortunately, that status is now being called into question. In this case, Georgia\u2019s absence was due to the alliance\u2019s agenda,\u201d Dolidze said, adding that \u201cwhat is far more damaging is Georgia\u2019s absence from discussions within the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Towards the end of 2025, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze insisted to Euronews that Georgia\u2019s path towards EU membership \u201cremains steady and irreversible\u201d and that the goal of joining the 27-member bloc by 2030 is \u201cboth realistic and attainable,\u201d despite the strained relations between Tbilisi and Brussels after both parties hit pause on the South Caucasus country\u2019s EU accession talks.<\/p>\n<p>The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 but halted its membership application process indefinitely and cut financial support last June after the passage of a &#8220;foreign influence&#8221; law that the bloc described as Russian-inspired and authoritarian, against the backdrop of massive anti-government protests in Tbilisi.<\/p>\n<p>After winning the general elections in October 2025, Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would pause discussions on its bid to join the EU until 2028 due to what the prime minister described then as &#8220;blackmail and manipulation&#8221; from some of the bloc\u2019s politicians, telling Euronews in November last year that the ball was in Brussels&#8217; court. <\/p>\n<p>Although a gradual thaw between Georgia and the EU at the time opened a renewed path towards active negotiations, the process has however lost thrust over the last six months.<\/p>\n<p>Kobakhidze told the forum in Antalya earlier this year that Georgia positions itself as a bridge between Europe and Asia and as a transit hub for energy connectivity together with its neighbour Azerbaijan in the context of its EU accession process.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe try our best and we are are striving to further strengthen our connectivity function. In the current environment, where trade routes are once again facing serious challenges, we are able to offer certain services to our partners in different parts of the world,\u201d Kobakhidze said.<\/p>\n<p>Tbilisi continued pressing on with regional defensive initiatives to diversify transport and energy routes and involve Georgia in major connectivity projects in the region.<\/p>\n<p>At the EPC summit in Yerevan in May, Kobakhidze with Ukraine&#8217;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and had a brief encounter with French President Emmanuel Macron, reaffirming &#8220;Georgia\u2019s readiness to continue close cooperation with partners&#8221; at the event.<\/p>\n<p>This week, Kobakhidze claimed that Georgia is ahead of all EU candidate countries in economic progress indicators.<\/p>\n<p>At a ceremony marking the completion of a major highway construction project, he also announced that strengthening the country\u2019s transit and connectivity systems is a key priority, while Georgia and Azerbaijan recently announced a new agreement on electricity supply and transit.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Georgia banned the import of a large shipment of flowers from Armenia, citing non-compliance with phytosanitary regulations, according to the Revenue Service of the Georgian Ministry of Finance.<\/p>\n<p>The Georgian authorities\u2019 decision mirrors a series of similar decisions by the Russian Federation, which unleashed an onslaught of economic restrictions on Armenian exports following Yerevan\u2019s cautious pro-Western and pro-EU turn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Was Erdo\u011fan&#8217;s gun gift a faux pas or an old-school diplomatic tradition?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Newly released footage shows revolver gifted by Erdogan to NATO leaders<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  At least seven killed in fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine as NATO leaders meet in Turkey<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Ankara<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  NATO<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Georgia<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" 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class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908907-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2908907\" data-cid=\"9833719\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2908907-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" 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jam around the Expo site in Brussels, 26 November, 2021\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Belgium to introduce new road tax in 2027, even for transiting drivers<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908978-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2908978\" data-cid=\"9834194\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2908978-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/83\/41\/94\/320x180_cmsv2_4d17b6ab-22a8-5447-8619-607a52b8c8fd-9834194.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates a point against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in their men&apos;s singles semifinal match at Wimbledon, 10 July, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Slick Sinner scuppers Djokovic record bid to make Wimbledon final<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908805-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2908805\" data-cid=\"9833208\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Panic on Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki as debris shatters window<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908808-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2908808\" data-cid=\"9833202\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why Chat Control 1.0 is the EU&#8217;s most Orwellian law yet<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2907993-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2907993\" data-cid=\"9829475\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Up to 38\u00b0C this weekend: How long will the heatwave last?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908561-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2908561\" data-cid=\"9831851\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU Parliament excludes end-to-end chats from message-scanning regime<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2908783-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2908783\" data-cid=\"9833019\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    How NATO leaders reacted to Erdo\u011fan&#8217;s elaborate firearm gift<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Georgia\u2019s political and civil society spheres have been gripped by a renewed debate over why its government was once again not invited to the NATO summit in Turkey and to regional political and security events, a possible sign of Tbilisi\u2019s political isolation.As with previous summits, NATO partner countries such as Qatar, the UAE, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia as well as Ukraine were invited to Ankara to attend events focusing on regional security, whereas, for the first time, former key NATO partner Georgia did not appear in the official summit programme nor in the accompanying forums.Over the past decade, Georgia has consistently declared its approach to the EU and NATO as national strategies, but this time Tbilisi was absent from the alliance agenda, prompting a political debate in Georgia over whether the country has lost its political influence or relevance.Georgia\u2019s ruling party representatives claimed that the summit in Ankara did not include the type of meetings Georgia used to attend in the past and rejected accusations of political isolation.Georgian Dream MP Irakli Kirtskhalia told the press in Tbilisi that \u201cwe have no problem attending the summit, ask the organizers why we are not represented.\u201dGeorgia\u2019s Foreign Ministry replied that Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili was going to attend a separate event in Turkey called \u201cAllies in Ankara,\u201d but that it was part of the Munich Security Conference, which critics noted was not connected to the NATO summit.\u201cThis is an important opportunity for Georgia to present the country\u2019s positions and its regional role to partners,\u201d Botchorishvili said, describing the alternative event.Opposition Lelo party representative Grigol Gegelia countered that, for the first time in Georgia\u2019s history, the country is not represented at the NATO summit itself.In turn, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili travelled to Tehran to attend the funeral of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside a small number of other regional leaders.Georgian political analyst Paata Zakareishvili has claimed that the absence of NATO\u2019s invitation to its regional security debates represents what he called the loss of trust by Georgia\u2019s partners.\u201cGeorgia is being ignored. There is a view that it is better not to maintain relations with it because no one knows what information Georgia might pass on to Russia. Georgia is seen as an unreliable, vulnerable, and toxic state,&#8221; Zakareishvili said.\u201cGeorgia should have been present at this summit as an honoured guest,\u201d he pointed out, given the country\u2019s significance in the Black Sea and Caucasus.\u201cCountries that are not NATO members will attend the summit in Turkey. Georgia is a country aspiring to join NATO. Georgia and Ukraine used to move towards NATO membership together,&#8221; Zakareishvili said.&#8221;Georgia is no longer being considered anywhere. We are not meeting the required conditions and that is one of the reasons why we are not invited to join the group of countries we should have been part of,\u201d he added.Meanwhile, Georgia\u2019s former ambassador to NATO Levan Dolidze said that &#8220;Georgia is now effectively in confrontation with its former strategic partners which is clearly affecting the country&#8217;s relations with NATO and the EU,\u201d because \u201ca foreign policy that leads to international isolation is causing significant harm to our country\u2019s national interests.\u201d\u201cThere was a time when Georgia was NATO\u2019s most valuable partner. Unfortunately, that status is now being called into question. In this case, Georgia\u2019s absence was due to the alliance\u2019s agenda,\u201d Dolidze said, adding that \u201cwhat is far more damaging is Georgia\u2019s absence from discussions within the European Union.\u201dTowards the end of 2025, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze insisted to Euronews that Georgia\u2019s path towards EU membership \u201cremains steady and irreversible\u201d and that the goal of joining the 27-member bloc by 2030 is \u201cboth realistic and attainable,\u201d despite the strained relations between Tbilisi and Brussels after both parties hit pause on the South Caucasus country\u2019s EU accession talks.The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 but halted its membership application process indefinitely and cut financial support last June after the passage of a &#8220;foreign influence&#8221; law that the bloc described as Russian-inspired and authoritarian, against the backdrop of massive anti-government protests in Tbilisi.After winning the general elections in October 2025, Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would pause discussions on its bid to join the EU until 2028 due to what the prime minister described then as &#8220;blackmail and manipulation&#8221; from some of the bloc\u2019s politicians, telling Euronews in November last year that the ball was in Brussels&#8217; court.Although a gradual thaw between Georgia and the EU at the time opened a renewed path towards active negotiations, the process has however lost thrust over the last six months.Kobakhidze told the forum in Antalya earlier this year that Georgia positions itself as a bridge between Europe and Asia and as a transit hub for energy connectivity together with its neighbour Azerbaijan in the context of its EU accession process.\u201cWe try our best and we are are striving to further strengthen our connectivity function. In the current environment, where trade routes are once again facing serious challenges, we are able to offer certain services to our partners in different parts of the world,\u201d Kobakhidze said.Tbilisi continued pressing on with regional defensive initiatives to diversify transport and energy routes and involve Georgia in major connectivity projects in the region.At the EPC summit in Yerevan in May, Kobakhidze with Ukraine&#8217;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and had a brief encounter with French President Emmanuel Macron, reaffirming &#8220;Georgia\u2019s readiness to continue close cooperation with partners&#8221; at the event.This week, Kobakhidze claimed that Georgia is ahead of all EU candidate countries in economic progress indicators.At a ceremony marking the completion of a major highway construction project, he also announced that strengthening the country\u2019s transit and connectivity systems is a key priority, while Georgia and Azerbaijan recently announced a new agreement on electricity supply and transit.Meanwhile, Georgia banned the import of a large shipment of flowers from Armenia, citing non-compliance with phytosanitary regulations, according to the Revenue Service of the Georgian Ministry of Finance.The Georgian authorities\u2019 decision mirrors a series of similar decisions by the Russian Federation, which unleashed an onslaught of economic restrictions on Armenian exports following Yerevan\u2019s cautious pro-Western and pro-EU turn.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/07\/10\/georgia-left-off-nato-summit-partner-list-as-critics-decry-isolation&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/83\/42\/22\/1200x675_cmsv2_739e7290-8070-522e-bf23-82054a2faec2-9834222.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Belgium to introduce new road tax in 2027, even for transiting drivers Sport Slick Sinner scuppers Djokovic record bid to make Wimbledon final Health news Toxic cloud forces La Bisbal del Pened\u00e8s residents indoors USA Crews drain Lincoln Memorial pool again as part of troubled revamp Europe News Belgium to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2037482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2037482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2037482\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2037482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2037482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2037482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}