Several European countries have revoked visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats.

Poland, Germany, and France are revoking the visa-free regime for Georgian diplomats. This decision stems from the country's refusal to pursue EU integration and the controversial parliamentary elections.

This is mentioned in a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the three countries, published on the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

“We, the foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle, are seriously concerned about the political crisis that has arisen in Georgia following the parliamentary elections on October 26 and the decision by the ‘Georgian Dream’ party to freeze the EU accession process. The cause of this crisis is the political direction chosen by the ruling party in Georgia and its departure from the European path,” the statement reads.

The foreign ministers of the three countries emphasized that they have repeatedly urged the Georgian authorities to change this direction and return to EU integration by adopting European norms and values and implementing reforms.

The states also condemned acts of violence against peaceful protesters, media, and opposition leaders that occurred in recent weeks. The Georgian authorities were called upon to take responsibility and, furthermore, strongly condemned threats against politicians.

The joint statement noted that the political direction of repression and the retreat from democracy chosen by the ‘Georgian Dream’ party has led to a deterioration in relations between the Weimar Triangle countries and Georgia, both at the European and national levels. Additionally, support and cooperation with the Georgian authorities have diminished.

“Therefore, we will implement the EU's decision to revoke the visa-free regime for holders of diplomatic and service passports from Georgia and will consider additional measures at the EU level and nationally,” the ministers stated.

It was also mentioned that the final report of the ODIHR/OSCE on the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26 confirms their concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process—the elections were not conducted according to the standards expected of an EU candidate.

At the conclusion of their address, Poland, Germany, and France called on the Georgian authorities to initiate a national dialogue with all stakeholders to find a way out of the current situation and restore public trust in Georgian democracy.

“The call for the implementation of the recommendations and standards of the ODIHR/OSCE, including the possibility of holding new elections, coming from part of Georgian society, deserves the authorities' sincere dialogue with all political forces and representatives of civil society. We reaffirm our determination to support the democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people,” the foreign ministers of the three EU countries concluded.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Georgian authorities for “undermining democracy.” The State Department also noted that the ‘Georgian Dream’ has turned away from its Euro-Atlantic future.