The Chair of the EU Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister, the Chair of the delegation to the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee Nils Ušakovs and the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur for Georgia Rasa Juknevičienė issued the joint statement on the Georgian government’s decision to pause its accession to the European Union, Georgian Public Broadcaster reports.
“We regret the Georgian government’s decision to pause the efforts to start the accession negotiations with the EU, as announced on 28 November by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. We recall that it was the sovereign decision of Georgia to apply for EU membership in March 2022, and that it was granted candidate status in December 2023. Instead of using this historic opportunity and moving forward with the accession process, there has been a continuous democratic backsliding in Georgia.
We reiterate that the last parliamentary elections did not respect international standards for democratic elections. The reported electoral fraud undermines the integrity of the election process and the legitimacy of the new government.
We are deeply concerned about the rights of pro-European Georgians who took to the streets to protest against the government’s plan to stop the EU integration process. We condemn the use of violence against them and call on the relevant authorities to stop using force against peaceful protesters. We reiterate that the right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental right, which needs to be rigorously respected.
We recall our unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and their wish to live in a prosperous and democratic country. We will continue to support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Georgian people and assist civil society and pro-democratic movements to steer the country back towards a democratic and European path.” the statement reads.
