Letter from the civil society to the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell

On behalf of the civil society of Georgia, we would like to thank you for your many years of successful work in Georgia and for the support that our homeland and civil society have always felt from the European Union - and you personally.

The period of your stay in Georgia coincided with tragic and historical events, both in Georgia and Ukraine. We appreciate and are grateful for the support that our motherland has continuously received to achieve the main foreign policy goal of Georgia - Let us return to the European family of nations and end Russia's occupation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, and we are especially grateful for the constant and unwavering support you have shown for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our homeland.

We appreciate your involvement in carrying out all the reforms that will bring Georgia and the European Union closer, and which are necessary to improve the life of every citizen of our country. You were personally involved in several projects, which were aimed at increasing the well-being of Georgian citizens - be it support for tourism, development of the agricultural sector, or introduction of the most promising European practices.

We would especially like to emphasize your contribution to the Charles Michel Agreement and the achievement of Georgia's European perspective - unfortunately, the political class of Georgia did not properly assess the importance of EU involvement, but in the future, this agreement will become the cornerstone of a better Georgian, European democracy.

You did everything for the European future of Georgia, during your stay in Georgia you treated Georgian culture with great respect and awe and left a lasting impression by appreciating the work of our favorite composer, Gia Kancheli. We will always remember this respect and appreciation of Georgian culture.

We would like to emphasize that recent anti-European and anti-American statements by the Georgian Dream, attacks on the ambassadors of Georgia's strategic allies and friendly countries, and attempts to use foreign policy and the country's interests in the domestic political game harm the national interests of our country and pose a direct threat to its future.

Nevertheless, civil society will continue to protect the western future of our country and will do everything to achieve the main foreign policy goal of our country - to return to the family of European nations and to end the occupation of the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region by Russia.

We are sure that the friendship that started in Georgia will continue in the future and you will remain a firm supporter of our country in the future.

Thank you for your service and the support that our country, citizens and civil society have received from you personally.

Signatory organizations:

• Georgian Court Watch
• European - Georgian Institute (EGI)
• ISFED
• Institute for Development of Freedom of Information
• Open Society Georgia Foundation
• CIIC
• Human Rights Center
• Transparency International - Georgia
• Georgian Democracy Initiative
• Media Development Foundation (MDF)
• WECF
• GYLA
• GRASS - Georgia's Reforms Associates
• Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies
• Democracy Index
• A group of independent lawyers
• Rights Georgia
• Civic IDEA
• International Centre for Geopolitical Studies (ICGS)
• Democracy Research Institute - DRI
• Chavchavadze Center
• Eastern European Centre for Multiparty Democracy - EECMD
• Economic Policy Research Center