On May 21, Simon Vandenbroucke, an official in the cooperation department of the EU Delegation to Georgia, was denied entry at Tbilisi International Airport and returned to his country of departure on the next available flight. Vandenbroucke, who works within the European External Action Service, is tasked with coordinating assistance programs, implementing the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, and fostering political and economic relations between the EU and Georgia.
On May 23, the Georgian side apologized for denying entry to Simon Vandenbroucke, an employee of the EU Delegation in Tbilisi, attributing the incident to a “technical misunderstanding” and confirming that he could return to his post.
Following the incident, the Georgian Foreign Ministry addressed the situation, informing journalists that it resulted from a “technical misunderstanding.” The ministry’s press service added, “We have communicated with representatives of the European Union, to whom everything was explained, and the issue has been resolved.”