EU envoy says termination of EU talks on Georgia is not civil, Interpress reports from Reuters

Written by Felix Light

TBILISI (Reuters) – The European Union’s ambassador to Georgia on Friday said Tbilisi’s move to effectively suspend its bid to join the EU until 2028 was “heartbreaking” and against the wishes of many Georgians, local media reported.

The Interpress news agency quoted the delegate, Pawel Herczynski, as saying: “What happened yesterday clearly contradicts the policy of the previous government of Georgia, the policy of all the previous governments of Georgia, and it also contradicts the wishes of the majority of people.” the people of Georgia.

“In my opinion, it is painful and very painful,” he said.

The Ministry of the Interior of Georgia said on Friday that 43 people were arrested in a large protest against the government’s decision on Thursday night.

In a statement, the Ministry said that 32 police officers were injured during the protest when the authorities chased thousands of EU protesters out of the parliament building, using pepper spray and water cannon.

A few protesters threw explosives at the police, while others tried to break down barriers outside the parliament.

The protest erupted after the ruling party Georgia Dream announced that it would not push ahead with EU accession talks until 2028 after what it called “blackmail” by Brussels over the negotiations.

Although Georgia is an EU candidate country, its relations with Brussels have deteriorated significantly in recent months, amid accusations from EU politicians that Tbilisi is pursuing anti-Russian and authoritarian policies.

The bloc itself said earlier this year that Georgia’s bid was suspended due to new laws passed against “foreign agents” and LGBT rights that critics say are powerful and inspired by Moscow.

The government, which has no diplomatic ties with Russia, said the laws were proportionate and needed to protect national security and the community’s traditional values.

Opinion polls show that EU membership is supported by around 80% of Georgians, and the intention to join the bloc is written into the country’s constitution.

Georgian Dream claims it won the October election with nearly 54% of the vote, as opposition parties claimed the vote was rigged and refused to take their seats in parliament.

The opposition party, Coalition for Change, which came second in the October elections, says that two of its leaders were attacked by the police during the protest, one broke his hand, and the other broke his nose.

Opposition groups called for new demonstrations on Friday.