US suspends strategic ties with Georgia over halt in EU accession talks
- 2 December, 07:37
The State Department suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia on Saturday in response to the country’s decision to halt negotiations towards accession to the European Union.
“The decision by Georgian Dream to suspend Georgia’s EU accession process goes against the promise to the Georgian people enshrined in their constitution to pursue full integration into the European Union and NATO,” the State Department wrote in a statement. The State Department explained that by suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, the ruling Georgian Dream party “has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin.”
The announcement comes amid mass anti-government protests sparked by the government’s decision to halt EU accession talks until the end of 2028 due to the “blackmail and manipulation” from some of the bloc’s politicians. Announcing the government’s decision on Thursday, Kobakhidze noted that Georgia’s EU integration should be rooted “in mutual respect”.
Dozens of protesters have been arrested in mass pro-EU protests across the country since Kobakhidze’s surprise announcement. The State Department condemned the “excessive use of force by police,” noting that the Georgian people “overwhelmingly support integration with Europe.”
The Georgian media reported on Saturday that Georgian Ambassador to the United Sates David Zalkaliani resigned from his post.
Georgia was granted a candidate status by the EU last year, however its application was suspended after the ruling party in May voted in favour of a Russian-style law on “foreign agents” and introduced a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.
