The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs has adopted a report on Georgia. The annual report on Georgia was adopted by 53 MEPs, with 14 voting against.
“The report focuses on the European Parliament’s main concerns regarding the state of democracy, the rule of law and European integration in Georgia,” the explanatory statement says.
The draft report states that the European Parliament expresses its full solidarity with the Georgian people, “who continue to fight for a European and democratic Georgia against the backdrop of democratic backsliding, increasing repression, relentless hostile rhetoric, disinformation and threats.”
“The Georgian Dream has not only stopped, but actually changed the course of Georgia’s European integration,” the draft document states.
The draft emphasizes that the targeted personal sanctions imposed by the European Union and its member states against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leaders of the Georgian Dream, judges, prosecutors and other officials are important.
The draft report stresses that targeted personal sanctions imposed by the EU and its Member States against Bidzina Ivanishvili, key Georgian Dream leaders, judges, prosecutors and other officials responsible for the continuous democratic backsliding in Georgia, electoral fraud, human rights violations and the persecution of political opponents and activists are an important instrument against impunity; welcomes the fact that, in the absence of unanimity at EU level, an increasing number of Member States have introduced individual sanctions against Georgian officials; urges other Member States to follow suit.
In addition, the document states that the European Parliament welcomes the launch of the Moscow Mechanism” by the OSCE, at the initiative of 24 member states.
The draft report also notes the Commission’s proposal to suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports across all EU Member States, as a direct consequence of the Georgian Dream regime’s actions in breach of fundamental values; PE782.288v01-00 6/8 PR\1335243EN.docx EN regrets that EU-wide visa bans for Georgian officials responsible for democratic backsliding and repression have not been possible due to opposition from Hungary and Slovakia; warns that continued inaction by the Georgian authorities could lead to the suspension of visa-free travel for the entire population, for which Georgian Dream would be fully responsible.
