On July 9, the Press Office of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed that there is a “determined attitude in Washington to achieve a change of government in Georgia following the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 26 this year,” accusing the Biden administration of developing “an extensive information campaign” to discredit Georgia’s ruling party.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller denied Russia’s allegations, calling them “completely false” and “absurd.” “It’s not the first time Russia has made allegations like that with respect to U.S. involvement in Georgia and other countries around the world that have been completely false and have been absurd,” Miller said.
When asked about the GD’s retaliation against activists amidst concerns over waning international attention regarding Georgia, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller responded, “It is a troubling pattern of behavior by the Georgian Government that we would urge them to reverse.” During the same press briefing, he also confirmed that “the review” of the U.S.-Georgia relations is “ongoing.”
Georgia’s EU accession process has been stopped, the EU has frozen 30 million euros in assistance to Georgia, and further measures are being considered in case the situation in the country deteriorates further, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński told journalists on July 9. According to the Ambassador, the decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession process was taken by EU leaders at the last European Council on June 27.
Reacting to Ambassador Herczyński’s statement, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili said that the decision to freeze EUR 30 million in EU assistance was incomprehensible and taken at a micro level. According to the Foreign Minister, the EU assistance was intended to bolster Georgia’s defense and security capabilities in light of Russia’s ongoing occupation and other existing challenges.
Speaker Shalva Papuashvili also reacted to freezing EUR 30 million in EU aid, reminding the EU of Georgia’s significant contribution to the military mission in the Central African Republic. “We should remember that in 2014, when the European Union could not find in its member states those willing to participate in the military mission in the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA), Georgia (with the decision of the “Georgian Dream” government) sent 150 soldiers, saving this mission of the European Union from failure,” Papuashvili wrote on Facebook.
The German Ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, reported that Germany has decided to stop any new financial commitments to Georgia, has halted its military’s participation in the “Noble Partner” exercise previously canceled by the U.S., and canceled an important legal conference due to the recent anti-Western decisions of the Georgian Dream. He also confirmed the EU’s decision to halt Georgia’s accession and called on Georgians to rethink what the EU means to them.
Three opposition parties, Ahali, Girchi-More Freedom, and Droa, announced their decision to post a joint election list for the Parliamentary elections in October. The leaders said an expected alliance with yet another party, Lelo, did not materialize due to “minor differences.” According to Nika Gvaramia, co-chair of Ahali, the door for cooperation remains open with Lelo, and negotiations will continue with other opposition parties.
Transparency International Georgia published a report assessing the performance of the Parliament in 2023, indicating that over the last year, the Parliament has become a “closed institution.” The report names the growing institutional inaccessibility of the Parliament for both journalists and representatives of civil society organizations and the lack of transparency when releasing public information, particularly concerning developments in 2023.
The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published its fifth evaluation report on Georgia, calling for stronger oversight and accountability in the top executive and law enforcement bodies. The report gives a positive assessment of the amendment of the Georgian Law on Combatting Corruption, which led to the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2023. However, the report highlights the pitfalls and concerns that have been identified regarding the independence of the new body.
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