EU Foreign Ministers to Discuss Possible Measures Against GD Repressions

On Monday, July 15, European Union member states' foreign ministers will hold a meeting in the Foreign Affairs Council format. Among other issues, they will discuss the situation in Georgia.

"The Council will discuss about the situation in Georgia and consider possible measures in response to the growing repression by the authorities," states the European Council's website, where the key agenda items are listed.

The Foreign Affairs Council comprises the foreign ministers of all EU member states and is responsible for the EU's external actions. The Council meetings are chaired by Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

On July 9, the European Parliament adopted another critical resolution concerning Georgia. It emphasizes the European Parliament's stance that new parliamentary elections are necessary to overcome the current crisis in Georgia. It also states that the EU and its member states must urgently reassess their relationship with the Georgian Dream regime and take concrete measures to support civil society and the media. The European Parliament strongly condemns violent repressions, arbitrary and politically motivated arrests, and the dismissal of public servants for supporting pro-European protests.

Through the resolution, the European Parliament calls on the European Commission and the European Council to review Georgia's visa-free travel status, with the possibility of its suspension, due to the actions of Georgian Dream.

The European Parliament also urges EU member states to consider additional restrictive measures, such as disconnecting Georgia from SWIFT or implementing sectoral sanctions aimed at cutting off financial flows and revenue sources for the Georgian Dream regime.

The resolution also mentions the municipal elections scheduled for October 4. The European Parliament believes that, given the current political and legal conditions in the country, these elections do not represent a real opportunity for the Georgian people to express their democratic choice, and participation in them would be used by the self-proclaimed government as an acknowledgment of a new status quo.

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