EU's Borrell Criticizes Georgia's New Law, Warns of EU Integration Setback
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has issued a stark warning to the Georgian government, stating that the country's current political direction is steering it away from EU integration. Speaking at a press conference following the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg, Borrell highlighted several concerning developments, including the recent adoption of the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence".
"We had a lively debate about Georgia. After the Foreign Affairs Council in May, for the second time in a row, we discussed worrying political events in Georgia, including the adoption of the law 'On Transparency of Foreign Influence'," Borrell said. He expressed regret over the misinformation about the EU and its values being spread by official Georgian actors and addressed claims by high-level Georgian officials that the new law would bring the country closer to the EU.
"I want to be clear: no, no! This law and all the negative developments around it are pushing Georgia away from the European Union. I can't be clearer and more concise," Borrell emphasized. He noted that this sentiment is supported by 26 out of 27 EU member states, underscoring the broad consensus within the EU regarding Georgia's current trajectory.
Borrell pointed out that the actions of the Georgian government contradict the will of the overwhelming majority of the Georgian population, who support closer ties with the EU. He stressed that unless the Georgian government changes its course, the country will not progress on the path to EU integration.
"In parallel, we will increase support to civil society and the media. We will counter disinformation and increase support for the election process. I distributed the option paper, we will continue to monitor the situation and, if necessary, take measures, we will downgrade political contacts with Georgia. We will consider halting financial aid to the government and we will reconsider our support from the European Peace Facility. This can be done immediately, but we will continue looking at the situation and taking more measures if it further deteriorates," Borrell stated.
He concluded by reaffirming the EU's commitment to the Georgian people: "I want to stress that we stand with the Georgian people and their overwhelming choice in favor of democracy and Georgia's future inside the European Union."
