EU-mediated talks between Georgian political parties to resume next week

EU mediator in the talks between Georgian political parties Christian Danielsson will arrive in Georgia either on March 28 or 29. Photo: EU in Georgia press office. 

Agenda.ge, 26 Mar 2021 - 17:12, Tbilisi,Georgia

The EU-mediation talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition on the issues of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of opposition figures are likely to resume on Monday, IPN has cited the EU delegation to Georgia as saying. 

IPN has reported that the EU mediator in the talks Christian Danielsson will arrive in Georgia either on March 28 or 29. 

EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has stated that reaching an agreement between the parties is dependent on the ‘sincere desire of all parties.’ 

He said that by the return Danielsson will make sure whether there is a chance for the parties to come to an agreement. 

It will not be easy. However, It is a Danielsson mission,” Hartzell said. 

Danielsson, who was sent to Georgia by European Council President Charles Michel on March 12, had spent a week in Georgia, more than scheduled, to help the parties come to an agreement. 

Georgian opposition parties say that the government refuses to make concessions. Photo: EU in Georgia press office. 

However, earlier on March 19 he left the country after mediation had ended without result. 

On Match 23 Michel tweeted that Danielsson would travel back to Georgia. 

The Georgian opposition parties which have won seats in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament say that the last year parliamentary elections were fabricated and have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020. 

The arrest of the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia for his refusal to pay bail on February 23, 2021 further complicated the political tension. 

The last meeting between Georgian political parties, mediated by Danielsson on March 18, lasted more than nine hours.