Tbilisi protesters condemn government for refusing to cooperate with EU

At the protest held in front of the office of the ruling "Georgian Dream" Party, activists of the "Shame" movement claimed that it is inadmissible to reject cooperation with the European Union (EU).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 31, Irakli Garibashvili, the Georgian Prime Minister, stated that country's authorities decided to refrain from receiving 75 million euros from the EU, explaining that Georgia has begun to reduce its foreign debt, and, therefore, there is no need to borrow more money. The Georgian authorities' refusal to get EU's financial support, which was offered in exchange for reforms, including in the judicial system, threatens to cause imbalance in relations with the West, Georgian analysts believe.

On September 1, activists of the "Shame" movement held a protest action in front of the office of the "Georgian Dream" Party, where they spoke out against the refusal to cooperate with the EU.

"Any refusal to cooperate with the EU, a cancellation of the European course, and a refusal from the signed agreement are inadmissible!" activists shouted during the action.

"What we heard yesterday means that the 'Georgian Dream' has abandoned the European standards. This party has made it clear to all the partners that they should not expect the upcoming elections to be held fairly. This is another alarming signal," Gigla Makarashvili, one of the founders of the "Shame" movement, stated on air of the "Rustavi-2" TV Company.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 2, 2021 at 04:33 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.