Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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The recommendations sent by the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council to the Georgian authorities regarding improvements in the country’s democratic situation have not been unanimously welcomed by the government and the ruling party, Azernews reports.

The leadership and deputies of the ruling “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia” party have described the EU’s letter as a form of blackmail.

Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the ruling party and Prime Minister of Georgia, stated that discussions about a possible suspension of the visa-free regime with the EU amount to blackmail against the Georgian people. He added that such a step would be counterproductive.

Levan Makhasvili, a deputy from the ruling party, said that European institutions continue to exert pressure on official Tbilisi through threats and blackmail. Despite concerns, the Georgian government remains ready to cooperate with both supportive partners and critical forces.

Makhasvili emphasized, “EU institutions will likely continue to use blackmail and threats in their dealings with Georgia to serve their interests. However, there are also EU member states that assess the situation soberly and believe that EU policy should be based on sound reasoning and shared geopolitical interests.”

He expressed confidence that opposition forces would also approach the issue rationally and return to the right path.

Another ruling party deputy, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, noted that EU foreign ministers have not reached any decisions regarding Georgia, as leaders of individual member states have adopted a pragmatic stance.

“They understand that damaging relations with Georgia does not align with Europe’s own interests. Unfortunately, every step we take and every achievement we make is often used against us,” Sharmanashvili said.

Meanwhile, Pavel Gercinski, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, confirmed that most EU countries oppose suspending the visa-free regime with Georgia.