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This is stated in the statement of the State Department, reports Ukrinform.
As it is emphasized, the decision of the ruling party "Georgian Dream" to suspend the process of the country's accession to the EU contradicts the norm enshrined in its constitution regarding full integration into the European Union and NATO. In this way, the authorities rejected the possibility of closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin.
The statement emphasizes that the Georgian people overwhelmingly support integration with Europe.
"The United States condemns the excessive use of force by the police against citizens seeking to exercise their rights to freedom of assembly and expression, including the freedom of peaceful protest. We call on all parties to ensure the peaceful nature of the protests," the US State Department said.
In this connection, the State Department announces the suspension of the strategic partnership with Georgia.
"The anti-democratic actions of the Georgian Dream violated the basic principles of the strategic partnership between the US and Georgia, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, the rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as efforts to fight corruption . As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism," the statement said.
The State Department called on the Georgian authorities to return to the Euro-Atlantic path, to transparently investigate all violations in the parliamentary elections and to abolish anti-democratic laws that limit freedom of assembly and expression of views.
This caused a wave of indignation in society. In the evening of that day, a protest action began near the central office of the Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi.
Special forces dispersed its participants with the help of water cannons and tear gas. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, 43 protesters were detained. At least 10 media representatives were injured during the dispersal of the rally by security forces.
The next day, a protest action of thousands took place again in Tbilisi near the parliament building. Law enforcement officers dispersed the protesters using water cannons. Mariam Gaprindashvili, a journalist of the opposition TV channel, was injured.
President Salome Zurabishvili called the government's decision to suspend the process of European integration "a point in the constitutional coup", and the detention of the protesters - "Russian methods".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemned the use of force against a peaceful protest in Tbilisi and called on the Georgian authorities to respect the right of citizens to peaceful protest, to refrain from violence and provocations.
On Saturday, several cities of Georgia resumed protests against the authorities' decision to abandon negotiations on joining the EU until 2028.
Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
