US Ambassador “strongly urges” ruling party to “return country” to EU path

Robin Dunnigan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday “strongly urged” the ruling Georgian Dream party to reconsider its actions and return the country to the European Union path, Western integration and democracy, which she said represented the “desire of the clear majority of the Georgian population”.

Dunnigan’s comments followed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement, which on Thursday announced the Government’s decision to halt the country’s European Union accession talks until 2028.

The Ambassador described the decision as the “latest in a series of actions that raise doubts about the Government's commitment to Georgia’s Western path”, while also noting the move had been “immediately praised” by the Russian authorities.

In her social media post, the diplomat also noted it was “up to the Government to take steps to mend relations” with the Western countries that have supported Georgia for over 30 years, while also highlighting her “ongoing efforts” to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, as well as support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

She also called on the Georgian Government to respect the right of Georgian citizens to peacefully protest, and ensure the freedom of the press to safely cover protests, in reference to law enforcement’s detention of 43 individuals during public protests outside the Parliament building in central Tbilisi overnight, while journalists and camera crew were reportedly assaulted during police's dispersal of a rally against the Government’s announcement.