“Nobody equates Georgia’s EU membership with Mikheil Saakashvili’s (jailed ex-president) release. This is a false propaganda,” said Salome Samadashvili, a member of the Lelo party.

According to MP Samadashvili, the EU will not open accession talks with Georgia. There is a threat of losing candidate country status if the Georgian parliament passes the law On Transparency of Foreign Influence.

“We have heard clear messages in the European Parliament about where Bidzina Ivanishvili (GD founder and Honorable Chairman) drives our country, far from the EU. With Ivanishvili’s government in power, Georgia’s only destination is Russia. We heard that the EU will not open accession talks with Georgia. There is a threat of losing the candidate status and visa-free movement if the Georgian parliament passes the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. This is significant for all those following Ivanishvili’s instructions, all 83 majority MPs, police or other law enforcers. Nobody will hide behind Ivanishvili’s back. That is why the imposition of personal sanctions is on the agenda, and we see that this is a new event since we have not heard about personal sanctions before,” she said.

Salome Samadashvili went on to say that the adoption of the Russian Law is an obstacle to Georgia’s European future.

“Nobody equates Georgia’s EU membership with Mikheil Saakashvili’s release. It is a false propaganda. Mikheil Saakashvili is in jail, and Georgia received the candidate country status under these conditions. This shameful propaganda is as absurd as the propaganda of governmental channels, saying the unrest concerns Saakashvili. Today, we deal with other factors hindering the European future. They have nothing to do with Saakashvili’s imprisonment. They are linked to Ivanishvili’s decision to adopt a Russian law, restore Georgia’s Sovietization, and abolish democracy. The EU tells us that there is no place for such a country in the EU. It was the message of the European Parliament last night. Let the government not cheat with people, among them, those it forces to gather for a counter-rally. We have seen many counter-rallies and remember the finale of the authorities in several days,” she said.