“I would describe this statement as assuming responsibility for criminal and anti-state actions that were carried out against the Georgian people and the Georgian state,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said in response to a question about the EU Council report.

According to the Prime Minister, when the conclusions refer to the detention of individuals who were directly involved in revolutionary processes, it effectively means that European bureaucracy is assuming responsibility for acts directed against statehood and the constitutional order.

“Those who were detained are people who were directly involved in revolutionary processes and attacks on state institutions. This means that European bureaucracy is assuming responsibility for these acts - acts directed against statehood and the constitutional order. If I were in the place of European bureaucracy, I certainly would not assume responsibility for such criminal acts.

As for the legislation, you know that the discussion concerns the ‘transparency law,’ and there is no basis for criticism here. This law allowed us to call things by their proper names, and that was its main purpose. Everything was named accordingly - so-called ‘NGOs,’ so-called ‘civil society,’ and foreign agents were called by their real names. Ultimately, someone in European bureaucracy does not like this.

If I were in their place, I would not take responsibility for the anti-state actions carried out over all these years by certain organizations - so-called NGOs and so-called ‘civil society’ organizations. I would describe this statement as assuming responsibility for criminal and anti-state actions that were carried out against the Georgian people and the Georgian state,” the Prime Minister said.

For context, the conclusions issued by the EU Council presidency on enlargement state that Georgia’s EU accession process has effectively reached a deadlock until the government demonstrates firm commitment to course correction and returns to the path of EU integration.

The document notes a serious overall regression in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

At the same time, the Council expresses regret over Georgia’s failure to implement the recommendations of the seventh report on the mechanism for suspending visa-free travel and urges the Georgian authorities to fulfill these recommendations and immediately meet the criteria for visa liberalization.