Interview with the German Ambassador

A new German ambassador took up his post in Tbilisi last month. H.E. Mr. Hubert Knirsch in an interview with the Diplomat magazine, spoke about the prospects of strengthening German-Georgia relations, his expectation and future plans.

Your excellency, firstly, let me congratulate on your appointment and wish you success in this new capacity. What are the first issues that you have started to work on?

Thank you! Indeed, I feel privileged to work in this wonderful, friendly country. Our partnership has a long history – 100 years ago, Germany was the first country to recognize independent Georgia. And it seems to grow stronger all the time: just a few weeks ago, Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Tbilisi and now we look forward to the presentation of Georgia´s wealth in literature and culture at the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is the largest such event worldwide. On my part, I have started meeting government officials, but also all the German institutions and companies working in Georgia. And I am a participant of the Tbilisi Marathon, together with a group of embassy colleagues.

Your previous posting was head of the political department of the German Embassy in Moscow for a couple of years, what do you think about Russia’s actions in Georgia?

It is a sad fact that Russia behaves aggressively towards Georgia, and against other neighbours, too. We have had some tough conversations, to put it mildly. At the same time, on the people level, Russians do not speak badly about Georgia. And I have the feeling that they themselves are not happy with the outsider position their country finds itself in.

Calling Russia’s actions an occupation was a meaningful gesture from Chancellor Angela Merkel. Despite the fact that Abkhazia and Samachablo are recognized as occupied territories by Germany, German diplomats and politicians avoid using the word occupation during official statements and speeches. How would you explain that?

Well, clearly, these territories are part of Georgia and therefore the presence of foreign troops is an occupation. The rest, however, is not as simple as that. We should be careful not to reduce our picture of the conflicts to just one word. They have a long and complex history – I have only begun to learn about it - which should be taken into account in addressing them.

What is German position on Georgia’s perspectives of NATO and the European Union?

Everybody understands, I think, that these are aspirations for the longer term. The important thing is not to spend our time in waiting, but in active preparation. NATO and Georgia take their cooperation forward in a program called the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, and Germany takes a leading role in this. As for the EU, I am happy that we have already accomplished two major steps - the association agreement and visa liberalization. This means that now, we can lift economic relations to a completely new level. But to do that means a lot of work on both sides.

Tbilisi is becoming more energetic, vibrant and dynamic often compared to Berlin with its night life. How have you been enjoying whatever free time you have, do you find it easy to actually get out of the embassy and see our country?

You are so right! My wife and myself truly enjoy taking in the atmosphere and the cultural richness of this city - and most of all, meeting its people. In fact, the embassy was one of the last places we got to know– after travelling around Georgia for three weeks last summer, from the Black sea to Kakheti and from Akhaltsikhe to Kazbegi. What a country! No wonder Georgia is becoming a favorite tourist destination for Germans.

What are some things that you hope to achieve during your role as Ambassador over the next few years?

Georgians take an amazing interest in German culture and in cooperation with Germany. To see this gives me pride and joy – but also a great feeling of obligation. We will do our very best to support Georgia´s ambitions in terms of democratic, social and economic development. This country can be a leading example for many others that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. If I can play a modest role in this in the coming years, I will be a very happy man.