All Options on the Table, Says EU Ambassador in Georgia

The foreign ministers of EU countries will discuss the situation in Georgia at a meeting in Brussels on December 16. This was stated by the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pavel Gerchinski, during a press conference.

“Recently, the issue of Georgia has been discussed several times, and it will be addressed by the foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries during the upcoming meeting on December 16. I believe I will be able to provide you with more information after this meeting, as much as I can. Let’s say that these are all the options that are on the table; these are the issues we have been talking about for several months, including the possibility of not suspending the visa-free regime,” Gerchinski said.

Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the ruling “Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia” party decided not to include the issue of negotiations for EU membership in the agenda until the end of 2028 and to refuse all budgetary grants from the community. According to the Prime Minister, the reasons for this are the EU’s ongoing coercion regarding the start of membership dialogues, demands to annul several laws adopted by parliament, and calls for sanctions against Georgian authorities.

Kobakhidze’s statement has sparked discontent among some citizens, who gathered near the parliament building on Thursday. The rally turned into clashes with police, resulting in injuries to law enforcement officers, protesters, and media representatives. Special forces dispersed the protesters and completely cleared Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament in the morning.