Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, whose legitimacy is contested by the opposition and parts of Georgian society, will participate in the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Albania on May 16. Kobakhidze confirmed to journalists that he received an invitation.

“We did not request any meetings during the visit. We will assess opportunities on-site—perhaps there will be meetings with specific leaders. Those familiar with the format know that official meetings are rare, but there are always opportunities to engage with leaders. We will make the most of this opportunity and talk to anyone willing to engage. We are open to dialogue with everyone, provided they approach us with fairness, sincerity, and without a Soviet mindset. This silence we face reflects a Soviet approach, not from the Soviet Union, but from the European Union. My European attitude is to engage with everyone, while their selective approach—engaging only with certain leaders—reflects a Soviet mentality. There can only be one explanation for this silence: someone premeditated this injustice, aiming to undermine our national interests. We will staunchly defend these interests. The format there is informal—meetings often occur in corridors, without designated rooms. I am ready to speak with anyone who is willing,” he said.

The EPC summits, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, have been held since 2022. Following the disputed parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024, Kobakhidze has visited an EU member state only once—Hungary, where the previous EPC summit took place in November.

Previously, RFE/RL European Editor Rikard Jozwiak reported that Georgia was not invited to the informal EU foreign ministers’ summit held in Poland on May 7-8. In addition to EU member states, the summit included candidate and potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Kosovo. Kobakhidze described the decision to exclude Georgia as “unfair,” while Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili attributed responsibility to Poland and the EU.

“Ask Poland [why we were not invited]. Double standards are pervasive, and decisions are made based on double standards. Georgia’s democracy is no less robust than elsewhere. There has been no democratic backsliding,” he stated.

Georgia’s European integration process has been halted due to the ruling Georgian Dream party’s adoption of repressive laws, including the “foreign agents” law, and the government’s decision on November 28, 2024, which sparked protests, violent dispersals of rallies, arrests of pro-European demonstrators, and a new wave of repressive legislation.