TBILISI, October 7 – The European Parliament is to debate the ruling Georgian Dream party’s attempt to ban five opposition parties, with a resolution due for a vote on Thursday. The debate is formally titled “Attempts by the ruling Georgian Dream party to ban opposition parties in Georgia” and comes a day after Georgia’s Constitutional … Read more
TBILISI, October 6 – EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said Tuesday that Georgia remains an EU candidate country “only on paper” – triggering a strong response from the ruling party. Kos said developments in Georgia would feature in the European Commission’s enlargement reports due at the end of October. She added that she would have … Read more
TBILISI, September 21 – Georgia’s parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday ruled out the possibility of the country joining the European Union without Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgian government control in the 1990s during the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia recognized both as independent states following the … Read more
TBILISI, July 8 – Georgia’s parliament speaker has warned the European Union not to create second-class members if it changes voting rules for future entrants. Shalva Papuashvili made the comment on Tuesday after a meeting in Serbia with parliament speakers from EU candidate countries, where they discussed a new initiative that would restrict veto rights … Read more
TBILISI, April 18 – A warning from Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova prompted Tbilisi to push back, asserting the country’s independence, while opposition figures claimed it proves the need to seek allies. As reported by Interpressnews, Zakharova said Georgia’s accession to the European Union, and any move to join sanctions against Russia, would deal … Read more
TBILISI, December 21 – The European Commission has again raised the possibility of suspending visa free travel for Georgian citizens, warning that Georgia could ultimately lose the regime entirely if current policies do not change. Unlike earlier EU statements, the new assessment openly allows for a population wide suspension, marking a shift from previous assurances … Read more
TBILISI, December 17 – Georgia’s ruling party has sharply rejected a new European Union document that says the country’s accession process has effectively stalled. Opposition figures argue the assessment reflects political reality on the ground. The conclusions were adopted on December 16 after a meeting of the EU Council on enlargement, chaired by Denmark. The … Read more
TBILISI, November 26 – Among the pointed questions Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze faced in parliament Wednesday was one about the government’s stance on Euro-Atlantic integration and the emergence of a new political party calling for neutrality. MP Vika Pilpani from the For Georgia party confronted Kobakhidze with an accusation that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) … Read more
TBILISI, November 19 – Georgia’s Foreign Ministry sharply criticized Brussels on Wednesday after the European Union postponed a scheduled human rights dialogue that Tbilisi had viewed as one of the few remaining openings for direct engagement. The meeting was set to take place this Friday, November 21, in Brussels. According to the Georgian side, the … Read more
TBILISI, November 9 – Georgia’s parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused Brussels of deliberately halting the country’s EU membership process months before Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s controversial statements about freezing accession talks. Speaking to Georgian journalists on Sunday, Papuashvili said the European Union made the decision after Tbilisi demanded transparency about how EU funds were … Read more