European Parliament: "We stand with Georgia and invited President Salome Zourabichvili to discuss next steps"

European Parliament invited Zurabishvili to discuss Georgia

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola expressed solidarity with the Georgian people in their fight for their European future during the opening of the plenary session on December 16. She strongly condemned the repression of the opposition and the use of force against peaceful demonstrators.

Metsola urged all 27 EU member states to unite and reach an agreement on sanctions targeting those responsible for violence against protesters. She also announced that Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has been invited to the European Parliament to discuss further steps.

The EU has decided to suspend the visa-free regime for Georgian diplomatic passport holders

“We are ending funding and political contacts with the Georgian government. Aid previously provided to the authorities will now be redirected to support civil society and independent media in Georgia”

“The European Parliament stands in solidarity with the people of Georgia, who have been peacefully protesting and marching in Tbilisi and across the country for two weeks, calling for a return to a European future and waving European Union flags under streams of water from riot police.

To the people of Georgia: we see you, we hear you, and we support you. The European Parliament strongly condemns the repression of the Georgian opposition and the use of force against peaceful demonstrators – actions that are incompatible with Georgia’s European path.

We call for decisive action, including sanctions against those responsible. We urge all 27 EU member states to come together and agree on these measures.

We have invited President Salome Zourabichvili to the European Parliament to discuss the most effective course of action. We stand with Georgia on its journey toward a European future, and our door will always remain open,” said the President of the European Parliament.

Georgia government claimed Lithuania and Estonia imposed sanctions against it "under third-party influence"

“Despite 33 years of independence, Lithuania and Estonia continue to exhibit a Soviet-era mentality. However, Georgia will maintain unilateral relations with these countries to preserve regional stability”

The Council of EU Foreign Ministers agreed on December 16 to suspend the visa-free regime for Georgian diplomatic passport holders. This was announced by the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, following the meeting.

She also stated that the Council discussed sanctions against high-ranking Georgian officials during the meeting.

Earlier, the Georgian branch of Radio Free Europe reported that the European Council had tasked the European Commission with preparing an official proposal to end the visa-free regime for Georgian diplomatic passport holders.

According to sources, this proposal received qualified majority support in the European Council. The European Commission has already started working on this issue and will prepare the relevant document in the coming days.