Georgian government decision is a geopolitical choice and- it's not European future - Braze

RIGA - The Georgian government's decision to put off the country's accession to the European Union (EU) for four years is a geopolitical choice and does not involve a future in Europe, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze (New Unity) said on X.

The minister notes that more than 80 percent of Georgians see their country's future in the EU. To achieve that, words are not enough, action and reforms are needed, Braze stressed in her tweet.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the Caucasus country would not pursue membership of the European Union until 2028.

The opposition has accused Georgian Dream of steering Tbilisi away from its long-held dream of joining the bloc and gravitating towards Russia.

Kobakhidze said: "We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028." But he pledged to continue implementing reforms, saying: "By 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030."

Kabahidze also stressed that Georgia's relations with the EU are and can only be bilateral.

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia, an EU candidate country, for being neither free nor fair, representing yet another manifestation of the continued democratic backsliding of the country "for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible".

As reported, the ruling Georgian Dream party won the Georgian parliamentary elections on October 26 according to the official results, but the opposition parties and President Salome Zourabichvili do not recognize the results and claim election fraud.

The parliamentary elections were largely seen as an indicator of Georgians' willingness to join the EU.