Georgian government plans to transfer responsibilities of pro-Western media center to its Foreign Ministry

(MENAFN) The Georgian government plans to transfer the responsibilities of a pro-Western media center to its Foreign Ministry, signaling a shift in its approach to promoting NATO and EU integration. The Information Center on NATO and EU, established in 2005 during President Mikhail Saakashvili’s tenure, aimed to boost public backing for Georgia’s membership in the two Western blocs.

An employee at the Center revealed on social media that the organization will shut down by July 1. Director Tamara Tsuleiskiri confirmed that while the legal entity will be dissolved, its work will continue under the Foreign Ministry. Georgian officials have verified this restructuring to local media.

In 2008, NATO identified both Georgia and Ukraine as future candidates for membership — a move criticized by several European nations who feared it would provoke Russia. That same year, Saakashvili’s military offensive in South Ossetia led to conflict with Russia, ending in a swift Georgian defeat and Russian recognition of the region’s independence.

The fallout from that conflict damaged Saakashvili’s reputation and facilitated the rise of the Georgian Dream party, which has taken a more cautious stance toward Western alliances. On the anniversary of the war last August, the ruling party accused Saakashvili of acting under foreign influence and betraying national interests.

Following a landslide win in last year’s parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream government faced protests from pro-Western opposition parties claiming electoral fraud. The EU and the US supported the opposition, prompting Georgian officials to condemn what they viewed as foreign meddling.

The government has also criticized the opposition for allegedly copying Ukraine’s 2014 Western-backed Maidan uprising tactics and resisting pressure to fully support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Western nations, in turn, have accused Tbilisi of weakening democratic institutions, particularly after it passed laws requiring domestic political groups to disclose foreign funding.

Although Georgia has paused EU accession talks amid ongoing tensions, it insists that integration with both the EU and NATO remains a long-term goal.

MENAFN18062025000045015687ID1109688766