Opposition claims gov’t refused EU loan become of ‘upcoming sanctions’
The leader of the United National Movement opposition party Roman Gotsiridze says that the EU was likely not to issue the loan for Georgia. Photo: for.ge.
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The United National Movement (UNM) and the European Georgia opposition party leaders say that the Georgian government has refused to take the second part of the EU’s €75 million euro loan because the EU was likely to impose sanctions against Georgia for the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s withdrawal from the April 2021 EU-mediated agreement.
UNM member Roman Gotsiridze says that the government ‘was forced to make the statement before the EU announced the sanction itself.’
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated earlier today that the government refused to take the EU loan because of positive moves in the state economy and the wish to decrease the country’s foreign debt which currently exceeds 20 billion USD.
Lelo opposition party leader Mamuka Khazaradze stated that the government’s refusal to take the loan ‘was irresponsible’ amid the severe epidemiological situation in the country and ‘extreme poverty.’
Garibashvili and European Council President Charles Michel in Kyiv earlier this month. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
The EU-mediated agreement, which was signed by the ruling party and the majority of opposition parties back in April 2021, aimed to resolve a six-month political standoff in the country which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Per the agreement the signatories took on responsibility to ensure large-scale electoral and judicial reforms in the country.
PM @GharibashviliGe's statement directly indicates that the @GeorgianDream41 is once again refuses to fulfill its commitments to the #EU, thus significantly undermines ????????'s democratic development and poses a threat to Euro-Atlantic integration.https://t.co/B02kHp3ff7
— Transparency Int'l GE (@Transparency_GE) August 31, 2021
The ruling party withdrew from the agreement in July 2021 ‘because of the refusal of the main opposition party, the UNM, to join the agreement and consistent violation of the agreement by other opposition parties.’
However, the GD vowed to implement all the reforms stipulated in the agreement.
The initiator of the agreement, European Council President Charles Michel, met with Georgian PM Garibashvili earlier this month, at which time he stated that the ‘deadline for the disbursement of macro financial assistance is looming and it is time for the Georgian government to demonstrate its commitment to the agreements and notably the reform agenda.’
Garibashvili responded that the Georgian government remained committed to the agreement and that a big portion of the reforms have already been carried out.