Lithuania's ForMin expresses disappointment over Georgia's EU membership freeze

VILNIUS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Georgian Ambassador to Lithuania Salome Shapakidze and expressed its "bitter disappointment" over Georgia's decision to unilaterally freeze its EU accession negotiations for four years.

"The Georgian government's geopolitical move is disappointing and the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters is absolutely unacceptable," the ministry said in a statement.

On Thursday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the country's EU accession bid would be postponed until 2028. The announcement came hours after the European Parliament adopted a resolution refusing to recognize the results of the recent general election in the country.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the Georgian government's geopolitical is disappointing and is against not only the Georgian people's long-standing aspiration to become part of the EU, but also the country's Constitution, which obliges the Georgian authorities to seek the country's EU and NATO membership by all means.

Early on Friday, riot police in Georgia used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators protesting against the government's decision. Several dozen protesters were detained.

Lithuania's Foreign Ministry is outraged by the violence and excessive use of force during the crackdown.

"Lithuania strongly condemns the use of excessive force against the people of Georgia, representatives of civil society and the media, and their arbitrary detentions. The state institution's behavior is in flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms," the statement reads.