28/11/24 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 28 November, Georgia’s ruling ‘Georgian Dream’ party announced that it was suspending its accession negotiations with the EU for four years, until the end of 2028. Accusing the EU, in a statement, of using the prospect of accession negotiations to “blackmail” the country and “organise a revolution” in Georgia, the party has “decided not to put the question of opening negotiations with the European Union on the agenda before the end of 2028”. “What’s more, we refuse to accept any budget subsidies from the European Union until the end of 2028”, he added. However, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze pledged to continue implementing the necessary reforms, stating that “by 2028, Georgia will be better prepared than any other candidate country to open accession negotiations with Brussels and become a Member State in 2030”. (CG)