Georgia’s EU accession process has been stopped, the EU has frozen 30 million euros in assistance to Georgia, and further measures are being considered in case the situation in the country deteriorates further, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński told journalists today, July 9.
The decisions were made against the backdrop of the adoption of the highly controversial foreign agents law and recent anti-democratic steps taken by the government, despite repeated calls from the West about the imminent consequences of the GD’s actions.
“The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence is a clear backslide on nine steps, and the anti-Western, anti-European rhetoric is fully incompatible with the stated aim of joining the European Union,” Amb. Herczyński said, adding that as a result, “Georgia’s EU accession has been put on hold.”
According to the Ambassador, the decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession process was taken by EU leaders at the last European Council on June 27. He also noted that “EU leaders are unclear about the true intentions of the current Georgian authorities.”
Amb. Herczyński also expressed hope that the newly formed government will “restart serious work” on Georgia’s EU integration after the October parliamentary elections. “Everything can still be changed, but the time is running out,” he added.
In addition to the EU freezing EUR 30 million from the European Peace Facility (EPF) and earmarked for the Georgian Ministry of Defense, the Ambassador said, “other measures are being considered if the situation further deteriorates.” While he said sanctions are one such measure, EU leaders have no unanimity on imposing “restrictive measures” against anyone in Georgia.
The Ambassador noted that the EU’s direct support to the Georgian government will “gradually diminish” and that the EU will try to shift this support from the government to civil society and media.
Amb. Herczyński regretted that EU-Georgia relations are “at such a low point when they could have been at an all-time high.” “It is for Georgian people to elect their next government, and it is for the next Georgian government to decide on its policy towards the European Union,” Amb. Herczyński. He added, “Georgia is a candidate country and if the next government is interested in pursuing Georgia’s membership in the European Union, we are more than ready, more than willing in order to help, to assist in every way we can.”
“It is for Georgia and for Georgians to decide on the 26th of October [Parliamentary elections] if they want to be a member of the European Union or not, if they want to be part of the next big EU enlargement, or if they have other plans for their future,” Amb. Herczyński said.
Also Read:
- 24/06/2024 – HR/VP Borrell Says Georgian Government is Taking Georgia Away From EU, Announces Initial EU Response
- 24/06/2024 – HR/VP Borrell Warns EU Door Will Close for Georgia if Government Continues its Course
- 19/06/2024 – Paweł Herczyńsky: Adoption of Foreign Agents Law Has Frozen Georgia’s EU Integration
