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.
Tensions are escalating in the Gulf after new attacks linked to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces say they struck Iranian fast...
A blast at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province has killed dozens of people and inj...
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has warned that global energy supply disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict are likely ...
One of the region’s largest defence and aerospace exhibitions has opened in Istanbul, bringing together companies, officials and industry exp...
Energy transition, private sector development and regional cooperation are in focus at the Asian Development Bank’s 59th Annual Meeting in Sa...
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned Armerican forces on Monday (4 May) not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. said it had launched a mission to try and reopen the sea passage. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister said there was no military solution to the Middle East conflict.
Tensions are escalating in the Gulf after new attacks linked to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces say they struck Iranian fast boats at sea following hostile manoeuvres, after Iran was blamed for an earlier attack on a UAE oil facility.
Medics are working to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly respiratory illness, hantavirus, from a luxury cruise ship being held off West Africa, after three people died and several others fell ill, officials have said.
Uzbekistan has unveiled a series of major economic and regional initiatives as more than 4,000 delegates from over 100 countries gather in Samarkand for the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), held under the theme “Crossroads of Progress.”
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has warned that global energy supply disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict are likely to persist.
One of the region’s largest defence and aerospace exhibitions has opened in Istanbul, bringing together companies, officials and industry experts from around the world.
Energy transition, private sector development and regional cooperation are in focus at the Asian Development Bank’s 59th Annual Meeting in Samarkand, highlighting Central Asia’s growing role in regional and global economic dynamics.
The eighth European Political Community summit brought dozens of world leaders to Yerevan, signalling Europe’s deepening interest in the South Caucasus.
An explosion at a major metallurgical facility in Kazakhstan has killed two people and injured five others, officials and the company involved have confirmed.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment