The Weimar Triangle statement
The foreign ministers of the member states of the Weimar Triangle [Germany, France, Poland] issued a joint statement urging the Georgian government to change its approach and political course, as cooperation between the European Union and Georgia is at risk.
The foreign ministers of the three countries emphasized their support for the democratic and European aspirations of the absolute majority of the Georgian people and noted the importance of conducting the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 26 in a free and fair manner.
Statement from the member states of the Weimar Triangle
“We regret the actions of the Georgian government that have led to the effective suspension of Georgia’s EU accession process, as announced by the Council of Europe, representing the heads of 27 member states and governments of the EU, on June 27.
Since then, the negative trend has only worsened, with a troubling threat of repression, the enactment of the so-called ‘Transparency Law,’ which stigmatizes NGOs receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad and labels them as conduits for foreign interests, recent legislative changes limiting the rights of LGBT+ individuals, as well as attacks on civil society organizations and independent journalists.”
Moreover, we note with increasing concern the rise of aggressive rhetoric towards the EU and its member states. The EU will not allow representatives of the Georgian authorities to spread false narratives about European positions and policies.
We expect the Georgian authorities to ensure that the upcoming elections are free and fair, and in line with the recommendations of the ODIHR/OSCE, particularly regarding the ability to conduct an electoral campaign freely and safely.
We hope that the Georgian government will once again commit to implementing the priority reforms outlined by its status as an EU candidate country. We remain ready to continue supporting the Georgian society on its path to a European future.
We continue to strengthen and support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.
