The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has adopted a report warning of democratic backsliding in Georgia and raising the possibility of suspending visa-free travel if the government fails to change course.
The committee voted on 5 May to adopt what it described as a landmark report on Georgia. Drafted by Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, the report passed by 53 votes to 14.
The document is the second such report since Georgia was granted EU candidate status and draws on the European Commission’s 2025 assessment of the country.
It expresses solidarity with the Georgian people, who it says “continue to fight for a European and democratic Georgia”, amid concerns over growing repression, disinformation and democratic decline.
The report welcomes the launch of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Moscow Mechanism, under which an expert monitoring mission has been deployed to Georgia.
However, it warns that unless Tbilisi alters its course, visa-free travel for Georgian citizens to the EU could be suspended.
It also notes that an EU-wide visa ban targeting Georgian officials was blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking from Yerevan ahead of a regional summit, said:
“We have certain issues with Georgia - the government is not taking real steps when they say they want to join the EU. We see them moving in the wrong direction.”
She added that these developments are affecting EU funding to Georgia.
Georgian authorities rejected the criticism. Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili dismissed concerns over EU funding, describing it as a political instrument used by Brussels bureaucrats.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze went further, accusing external actors of financing five attempted revolutions in Georgia over the past four years. He also insisted that recent legislation is intended to safeguard national sovereignty.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and a...
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it had authorised 32 vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Wash...
Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) resumed passenger services between Baku and Tbilisi on 25 May, with the first train departing Baku Railway Station at 23:10...
Doctors working on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say attacks on treatment centres and fleeing patients are...
Russia has warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, saying it has launched a new wave of strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry and military co...
The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, though the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 25th May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) resumed passenger services between Baku and Tbilisi on 25 May, with the first train departing Baku Railway Station at 23:10 local time after a six-year suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first time in decades, Armenia has rail access to the EU. The Akhalkalaki–Kars corridor, running through Georgia into Türkiye, is now officially open for Armenian cargo - a quiet but consequential shift in the region’s economic geography.
The Kremlin warned on Monday that Armenia could lose the “very attractive” price it pays for Russian gas if it moved away from integration with Russia and deepened ties with the European Union.
Uzbekistan has unveiled its final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the country’s first appearance at football’s biggest tournament. The national team, led by Italian head coach Fabio Cannavaro, will compete at the tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Nearly half of Afghanistan’s population - more than 21 million people - needed humanitarian assistance in the first three months of 2026, according to the United Nations, yet aid agencies reached only 4.7 million people.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment