April 21, 2026 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that while Georgia shows “no signs of reversing democratic backsliding,” an indication of Tbilisi’s willingness to change course would be what she described as “genuine engagement” in human rights dialogue, as EU foreign ministers discussed the country at a recent meeting in Luxembourg.

“Georgia shows no signs of reversing democratic backsliding. Ministers had an explicit message that Georgia needs to change the course, HR/VP Kallas said at a press conference following the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on April 21, adding, “And of course, also genuine engagement in the human rights dialogue would be an indication that they want to change the course.”

In November 2025, the EU-Georgia Human Rights Dialogue was postponed indefinitely. While Tbilisi said the EU “regrettably” postponed the meeting in what it described as an “entirely unacceptable and unjustified” move, “despite Georgia’s efforts and readiness,” Brussels itself cited “impediments from the Georgian side” as the reason for the postponement, amid reports that a sanctioned official was included by Georgia in the planned delegation list.

Before the April 21 meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers, the first since Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungarian elections, Kallas, speaking to reporters on the doorstep, was asked whether the change of government in Hungary, which has blocked the EU’s more resolute efforts on Georgia, would bring the issue of personal sanctions against Georgian officials back to the table. Saying she could not speak on behalf of a new government in Hungary, Kallas, however, noted that discussions would be “reopening” on “a lot of issues” that had been blocked.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Europe editor, Rikard Jozwiak, said in a post on X following the meeting that there was “no movement on sanctions in the room” during discussions on Georgia. “There is a EU push to do human rights dialogue with Georgia as a first step,” he said, adding that “for anything further, Georgia has to stop aggressive language against the EU, stop harassing opposition, [and] revisit CSO legislation.”

Relations between Tbilisi and Brussels remain strained amid the Georgian Dream government’s anti-democratic actions and anti-EU discourse. The EU said in November that Georgia is a candidate country “in name only” and moved in February to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian holders of diplomatic and service passports.

The remarks indicating the EU’s push for a human rights dialogue with Tbilisi follow the April 20 statement by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who said the EU is “open to involving Georgia” in regional connectivity projects, but can do so “to the extent that they also show that they want to engage on other areas.”

The comments also come as Georgian officials have expressed hope that, despite the frozen ties, Brussels will have to engage with Tbilisi and consider a “reset,” arguing it’s in the EU’s interest as the bloc seeks alternative trade and connectivity routes.

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