Thousands rally in Georgia to push government on EU membership

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) : Thousands of protesters rallied in the Georgian capital Tbilisi to press the government to keep the country on its EU membership path.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament on Sunday and urged the government to implement the reforms required for Georgia’s integration with the EU.

The rally was organized by the United National Movement (UNM), the main opposition party founded by jailed ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The crowd waved Georgian and EU flags as they chanted slogans for closer ties with the European bloc.

Protesters also carried banners with messages of support for Saakashvili, who is serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power, as well as several more condemning Russia.

Opposition leaders from the UNM addressed the crowd, accusing the government of backsliding on democracy and acting under Russia’s influence.

They criticized the government led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili for failing to secure Georgia’s EU candidate status last year because it did not fulfill the 12-point criteria set out by the EU.

Georgia, along with Moldova, applied for EU membership on March 3 last year, following Ukraine’s application on Feb. 28, just four days after Russia launched its first attacks.

On June 17, the EU Commission granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova but said Georgia’s bid would be reassessed once it meets the bloc’s requirements.