In a joint statement issued on May 15, three leading MEPs – David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, and Sven Mikser, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Georgia – called on the the European Council and European Commission to reconsider the EU-Georgia relations, including the EU’s political and financial support to the country.
The MEPs deplore the adoption of the foreign agents law and stress that they are “deeply disappointed” that the ruling majority has ignored the concerns raised by rights groups and the country’s international partners, including the EU and the US. They, therefore call on the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law.
The MEPs reiterate their “full solidarity” with the Georgian people, who they say are “bravely defending” democratic values and protesting for the sake of the country’s Euro-Atlantic future. The MEPs add that the Georgian government must de-escalate and refrain from further use of force against peaceful protesters, opposition politicians, NGOs and independent media. “Any violence or continued intimidation against the protesters is an infringement of the right to peaceful protest and therefore unacceptable,” the MEPs say.
Stressing that a friendly environment for civil society and media freedom is “core to any democracy” and “a crucial requirement for EU accession,” the MEPs call on the Council and the European Commission “to reconsider EU-Georgia relations, including our political and financial support to the country.” The MEPs call on the Commission to immediately provide an oral assessment of the impact of the Foreign Agents Law on Georgia’s EU accession process, as already proposed by twelve foreign ministers.
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- 14/05/2024 – The White House Ready to “Fundamentally Reassess” Relations with Georgia over Agents’ Law
