EU's Borrell proposes redirecting €100M aid to Georgian civil society
EU redirects aid to Georgian civil society
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has announced that he will propose at today’s EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting to redirect €100 million, initially intended for the Georgian government, to support Georgia’s civil society.
“Georgia is a topic we are discussing today. Specific decisions need to be made.
I propose halting support for a significant part of the programs directed to the government. Over €100 million will be frozen and, instead of being allocated to the government, will be redirected to civil society organizations. So, we will take this money, about €100 million, and provide it to civil society organizations to support them in their fight for fair elections. People must be assured that the European Union will continue to support them.
The [EU accession] process for Georgia is suspended until the Georgian government returns to its previous course. To return to that course, many changes are needed. In the meantime, we will use the funds originally allocated to the government to support the people fighting for their freedom,” said Borrell.
Earlier, four pro-Western opposition parties in Georgia, which surpassed the 5% threshold in the October 26 parliamentary elections, sent a joint letter to Josep Borrell and the foreign ministers of EU member states. In the letter, they claim to have collectively won 52% of the votes, but allege that the ruling Georgian Dream party falsified the results.
As evidence of fraud, the Georgian opposition cites the results of exit polls conducted by independent research organizations such as Edison Research and HarrisX, as well as reports from non-governmental organizations documenting election violations.
EU redirects aid to Georgian civil society
