Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has invited French President Emmanuel Macron to visit the country to celebrate Independence Day on May 26. In an interview with the French publication La Tribune Dimanche, Zurabishvili said that she had written a letter to Macron inviting him to this important event.


Zurabishvili emphasized that the future of not only Georgia, but the entire region is now under threat.


She noted that this is a matter of the final liberation of the Caucasus from Soviet influence and the Russian mentality.


Earlier, the possibility of Macron's visit in September, before the parliamentary elections, was considered, but the situation has changed, and now it is important to counter Russian influence in the Caucasus.


So far, Macron's administration has not responded to the invitation, according to the News-Georgia agency reports.


Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to the invitation by saying that France is looking for a new colony, comparing Georgia and Armenia to New Caledonia.


French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a statement expressing regret over the decision of the Georgian government and ruling party to deviate from the European path.


They emphasized support for Georgia's European future and the European Council's decision to grant the country candidate status in December 2023.