NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the violence against protesters in Tbilisi. He made these remarks in Brussels, ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, in response to a question about Georgia.
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“The reports of violence are deeply concerning, and I condemn them unequivocally. I urge the government to do all it can to promote peace and stability, and I think this is in the interest of all Georgians.
NATO is an Alliance based on democracy, based on values, based on respect for freedom and democracy as a concept, but also as a day to day reality. And I believe strongly that these values are the basis for our collective peace and prosperity.
And what I am seeing at this moment is that all Allies are making clear that any actions that undermine the democracy in Georgia or to take democracy further, also on road to more EU and NATO integration, Euro Atlantic integration, so to say that they really urge the Georgian government to stay on the path they decided a couple of years ago to be active on and not to retreat,” Rutte said.
On November 28, Georgia’s illegitimate Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would not put the issue of opening accession negotiations on the agenda until the end of 2028 and would refuse EU budget grants.
The protests following the Georgian Dream’s decision are being brutally dispersed by police forces. Tear gas, water cannons, and other special forces are being used against protesters. Rubber bullets are also believed to have been used. Since November 28, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has detained more than 300 protesters, most of whom have been beaten by riot police.
