The Head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, has responded to Georgian Dream's decision to suspend the country's European integration process. This decision is regrettable and contradicts the policies of all previous Georgian governments, the ambassador said.
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“I think today we have all woken up to a new reality. We saw yesterday’s statement by Mr. Kobakhidze, where he announced that Georgia is not interested in continuing its European integration for the next four years. Of course, this is very sad. For me, it is truly heartbreaking. I remember two years ago, when I arrived in Georgia, my boss, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, publicly declared: ‘Georgia belongs to the European Union, and the European Union will not be complete without Georgia.’ These words guided our work for two years.
I was very proud when the European Union decided to open its doors to Georgia by granting the country candidate status for EU membership. What happened yesterday contradicts the policy of the previous Georgian government, and, in fact, the policy of all previous Georgian governments, as I understand it. It also contradicts the will of the vast majority of Georgians.
Of course, Georgia is an independent and sovereign state. It is up to Georgia to decide whether it wants to continue its European integration,” the diplomat said, as translated by TV Pirveli.
According to Pawel Herczynski, the EU suspended Georgia’s European integration process back in June, and among the options being considered is a potential suspension of visa liberalization.
“This will be a topic of discussion for EU leaders. First of all, I want to tell the Georgian people that the EU stands by you, and we completely understand your anger and despair. We see that EU accession is the desire of the majority of the Georgian people. The Georgian government also had this desire,” the EU ambassador noted.
Herczynski also addressed the crackdown on the protest rally on Rustaveli Avenue, stating that violence against peaceful protesters is “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Yesterday’s statement shocked many people. The demonstration was not organized; it was a spontaneous public reaction, not only in Tbilisi but also in various cities across Georgia. We saw violence used against peaceful protesters. This is absolutely unacceptable for us. In any democracy, everyone has the right to express their position peacefully,” said Pawel Herczynski.
Yesterday, November 28, the illegitimate Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, informed the public of Georgian Dream’s decision to suspend the process of joining the European Union. According to Kobakhidze, the issue of opening accession negotiations will not be put on the agenda until the end of 2028, and the government will refuse EU budget grants. President Salome Zourabichvili described this decision as marking a “constitutional coup” and stated that the illegitimate government has declared war on its own people.
