Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, said today’s meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council agreed on “the need to hold the visa-free regime for diplomatic passport holders and Commission will make a proposal already this year.”

“And we also discussed the sanctioning of these Georgian officials who are behind the violence against peaceful protestors,” Kallas told the media following the meeting.

“The situation is not going to positive direction for the Georgian people. Democracies do not oppress opposition voices or curtail the freedom of media. In response, we have downgraded political contacts, and cut funding for the Georgian government.

Today, we agreed [on] the need to hold the visa-free regime for diplomatic passport holders and Commission will make a proposal already this year. And we also discussed the sanctioning of these Georgian officials who are behind the violence against peaceful protestors.

Going forward, we will continue to stand with the Georgian people and, including by re-directing funding from the authorities towards the civil society and Georgian people, independent media. Because the future of Georgia as it is in Syria for Syrians, is for the people of Georgia to decide what the future can be,” she stated.