Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Monday said, the EU would consider “putting a hold on our financial assistance to the Georgian government.”
After the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, Borrell stated, “We have discussed worrying political developments in Georgia, including the adoption of this law on transparency of foreign influence.”
“We have to regret that there is a widespread disinformation about the European Union and its values coming from official actors. We heard Georgian voices at the highest level surprisingly stating that this law is bringing the country closer to the European Union. And I want to be clear – no, no, this law and all the negative developments around it are pushing Georgia away from the European Union. It cannot be more clear, more concise. This is pushing Georgia away from the European Union. And this statement is being supported by 26 out of 27 members.
There is no unanimity, but we do not need unanimity to make a political evaluation of the situation. We understand that this dynamic goes against the will of the overwhelming majority of Georgian population. And the overwhelming majority of the ministers today have been very clear about that the Georgia government is bringing the country away from the European Union,” Borell declared.
HR/VP Borrell underscored that “if the government will not change the course of action, Georgia will not progress on its European Union path.”
“I can say that louder, but not clear. If the government doesn’t change the course of action, Georgia will not progress on the European Union path. In parallel, we will increase our support to civil society and media. We will counter disinformation and increase support to the electoral process. I distributed an option paper and we will continue monitoring the situation and adapt our measures as necessary. We will downgrade our political contacts and reach out to Georgia. We will consider putting a hold on our financial assistance to the government and we will reconsider our support from the European Peace Facility. This can be done immediately, but we’ll continue looking at the situation and taking more measures in case of further deterioration. I want to stress that we stand with the Georgian people and their overwhelming choice in favor of democracy and Georgia’s future inside the European Union,” he stated.
Borell added that “some measures require unanimity. A political assessment doesn’t require unanimity, to decrease the level of political reach out doesn’t require unanimity – everybody will do it if they like it, I suppose that the 26 will do, to hold on the financial assistance to the government is something that once there is a two-thirds of the council supporting it. It’s a commission to implement it.”
“To not continue with the plan of supporting Georgia from the European peace facility doesn’t require unanimity either. It requires unanimity to do it, but not to do it is a different question. And other issues could require unanimity but by the time being, they need further consideration,” he added.
