The Council of the European Union has suspended part of the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement. Georgian diplomats and officials will now have to apply for visas.
This was reported by the press service of the Council of the EU.
"Fundamental rights and democratic values are the basic principles of EU integration. Officials representing a country that disregards these values should not benefit from easier access to the EU," said Polish Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak.
Also, representatives of Georgia will not have the advantages of reduced application time, lower visa fees, and the ability to submit fewer documents for verification.
The EU Councilʼs decision is a reaction to the "Law on Foreign Agents" and a package of laws on "family values and the protection of minors" adopted last year. Brussels believes that this legislation undermines the fundamental rights of the Georgian people: freedom of expression, the right to privacy, the right to participate in public affairs, and also increases stigmatization and discrimination.
In addition, the cancellation of visa-free travel is a response to the “brutal repression by the Georgian authorities against peaceful protesters, politicians, and independent media,” which began after the Georgian government announced on November 28, 2024, that it would not start negotiations with the EU until 2028.
What preceded
Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia in October 2024. According to the CEC, the pro-government, pro-Russian party "Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia" won, gaining 53.9% of the vote. According to Georgian law, this party has the right to form a government alone. The European Parliament did not recognize the election results.
Four more pro-Western opposition parties broke the 5% barrier. The opposition and the president disagreed with the results, and protests began.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze informed on November 28, 2024, that Georgia was abandoning EU accession negotiations until 2028. He explained that 2028 would supposedly be the time when Georgia would be economically ready to begin accession negotiations. After that, large-scale protests began in the country, which were dispersed by security forces using water cannons and tear gas.
Amid the violent crackdown on the protests, the US suspended the US-Georgian strategic partnership, and Georgian representatives in several EU countries and the US announced that they were resigning. Ukraine also imposed sanctions on the Georgian authorities for the crackdown on the protests. The United Kingdom will also suspend support for the Georgian authorities and limit cooperation with them.
Lithuania and Estonia have expanded sanctions against Georgian politicians over their involvement in the persecution of peaceful protesters, journalists, and the opposition.
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