The Netherlands will request the European Union to suspend the visa-free regime with Georgia, according to the country's Foreign Minister, Caspar Veldkamp.
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“The violence against protesters and journalists, and the arrests of politicians in Georgia are unacceptable. That is why the Netherlands will call on the EU to suspend its visa-free arrangements with Georgia,” the minister wrote on Platform X.
Additionally, the diplomat welcomed the decision by the foreign ministers of the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to impose individual visa sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, and senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Veldkamp is attending a two-day meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) foreign ministers in Malta. He stated that it is essential to explore how OSCE mechanisms can be utilized to support the Georgian people.
Following the announcement by Georgia’s de facto Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, on November 28, that the country would not consider opening EU accession negotiations before the end of 2028, Georgia’s ambassador to the Netherlands, David Solomonia, resigned. Ambassadors to the United States, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania, along with the acting ambassador to Italy, also stepped down. Deputy Foreign Minister Teimuraz Janjalia resigned as well.
