The European Council summit announced the de facto halt of Georgia’s accession to the EU

Georgia was called upon to carry out democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms in accordance with the basic principles of European integration.

The European Council summit announced the de facto suspension of Georgia’s accession to the European Union. This is stated in a document published on the European Council website.

It is noted that the European Council reaffirms the EU’s readiness to support the Georgian people on their European path. At the same time, it once again expressed its “serious concerns” about the Georgian government’s course of action, which contradicts the values and principles on which the European Union is based.

“The European Council recalls that such a course jeopardizes Georgia’s European path and de facto halts the EU accession process . It calls on Georgia to implement democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms in line with the fundamental principles of European integration. The European Council will continue to closely monitor the developments in the situation,” the document says.

In addition, the European Council expects the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia to be free and fair, and to be held in accordance with international standards and with unimpeded access for international and national election observers.

“The European Council reaffirms the European Union’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. It underlines the European Union’s continued commitment to a peaceful settlement of the conflict and its policy of non-recognition and engagement,” the document adds.

Georgia’s accession to the EU

It was previously reported that Georgia would not be able to become a member of the EU if a one-party system without political opposition was established there. This statement was made by the EU Ambassador to Tbilisi Pavel Gerchinsky.

The EU will also impose sanctions on Georgia if it continues to move away from democracy, the diplomat said .

It should be noted that in July it became known that the United States was suspending more than $95 million in aid to the Georgian government due to the “foreign agents” law, which Washington considers anti-democratic. According to Reuters, the European Union also froze about 30 million euros in military aid to Georgia.

(c)UNIAN 2024