The Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom, Steven Doughty, responds to the current events in Georgia and states that the Georgian authorities' steps away from democratic norms and freedoms will harm the country's international reputation and fundamentally damage relations with Georgia's friends and partners.

"People in Georgia make it clear that they oppose the decision of Georgian Dream to stop the country's further progress towards the European future, which directly undermines the Georgian constitution. I condemn the brutal and excessive use of force against protesters and journalists that has continued in recent days. As the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has pointed out, this is a serious violation of the right to freedom of assembly," says Stephen Doughty.

According to him, he calls on the Georgian authorities to ease the current situation and change the harmful trajectory away from European values.

"We call on the Georgian authorities to listen, ease this situation and change the harmful trajectory away from European values. "Taking steps away from democratic norms and freedoms will only harm Georgia's international reputation and fundamentally damage relations with Georgia's friends and partners," the statement said.