EU, U.S. to Suggest New Agreement to Bridge the Crisis

In their joint statement, the Spokespersons of the EU High Representative/Vice-President and of the U.S. Department of State said that Council President Charles Michel will propose today a new agreement, aiming to bridge the differences and pave the way out of the protracted political crisis.

This is an agreement, that “all Members can sign in good faith rather than a unilateral action that undermines the goal of a broad-based agreement”, the statement reads, in an apparent allusion to the unilateral signature on April 16 by the ruling Georgian Dream of the previous document, tabled by President Michel’s representative Christian Danielsson during the unsuccessful mediation round on March 31. Most of the opposition parties were reluctant to sign, saying the document fails to address two outstanding issues – the matter of possible snap elections and the liberation of Giorgi Rurua and UNM Chair Nika Melia from detention.

“After nearly six months of negotiations, the citizens of Georgia have made clear that they want the political crisis to end, and for all elected Members to work together in Parliament and address the serious challenges facing the country, including the regional challenges, COVID, and the economic crisis,” reads the joint statement.

Georgian media reports suggest the ruling party and the opposition will meet today at 19:00 Tbilisi time, in a meeting mediated by the EU and U.S. Ambassadors, in an attempt to bridge their differences.

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