More than 100 diplomats in Georgia have signed an open letter criticizing the new government's decision to suspend EU accession talks, an official said yesterday, after protests against Tbilisi's move led to clashes on the streets of the capital overnight.
Diplomats said that the decision, which was announced on Thursday by the ruling Georgian Dream party, was a violation of the country's constitutional obligation to pursue EU membership.
The ambassador of the European Union in Georgia, in his first comments from Brussels, said that Tbilisi's move to practically stop its path to the EU until 2028 is "disappointing".
He also condemned police violence against demonstrators at a pro-European protest on Thursday evening. Police used water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas against masked young protesters, Reuters reported.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced yesterday that 43 people were arrested. The statement also stated that 32 police officers were injured during the protests, in which some protesters tried to tear down metal barriers in front of the parliament.
The Coalition for Change, the largest opposition party, announced that the police attacked two opposition leaders during the protest, breaking one's arm and the other's nose.
Nika Melia, leader of the Coalition for Change, called for the continuation of the protest.
"Today we have only one task - to serve the country, so that tomorrow we have a country, and our children have a future," Melia announced on Facebook.
Three universities in Tbilisi said they were suspending classes because of the unrest, while a group of business associations, including the chambers of commerce of the United States, the EU and Germany, said in a joint statement that they opposed freezing the talks.
The Georgian Dream party declared victory in the October elections with almost 54% of the votes won, but opposition parties claim that the elections were rigged and refused to participate in the work of the parliament.
The Georgian dream suspended negotiations on EU accession due to, as they stated, "blackmail" by Brussels.
Georgia's pro-EU president Salome Zourabishvili, whose powers are largely ceremonial, appealed Thursday to Georgian diplomats to oppose the freeze on negotiations.
A diplomat told Reuters that more than 100 diplomats had signed a letter stating that the move violated the country's constitutional commitment to pursue EU membership.
Georgia's ambassador to South Korea, in a Facebook post, appeared to oppose the freezing of accession talks, while Tbilisi's representative in Bulgaria announced on the X network that he had resigned due to the suspension of negotiations.
Pavel Herzhinski, the EU ambassador in Tbilisi, described the decision to freeze accession talks as "very sad" and "heartbreaking".
"It is clear that what happened yesterday is contrary to the policy of the previous government of Georgia, in fact of all previous governments of Georgia, as well as against the will of the vast majority of the population of Georgia," he said.
He also condemned police violence against protesters.
Local media quoted Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze as accusing the EU ambassador of "spreading disinformation" and threatening a "diplomatic response".
Although Georgia is a candidate country for EU membership, its relations with Brussels have deteriorated sharply in recent months due to accusations by European politicians that Tbilisi is pursuing pro-Russian and authoritarian policies.
The EU said earlier this year that Georgia's membership application was frozen in response to new laws on "foreign agents" and LGBT rights, which critics say are draconian and inspired by similar laws in Russia.
The government, which has no diplomatic ties to Russia, has said these laws are adequate and necessary to protect national security and traditional societal values.
The Georgian Dream party, believed to be under the control of its founder, former prime minister and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been seeking to strengthen ties with Russia and China in recent years.
The European Parliament voted on Thursday to deny recognition of the results of the October elections and called for sanctions against key leaders of the Georgian Dream party.
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