The European Union has heavily criticized Georgia’s decision to abolish the Information Center on NATO and the European Union, calling it a step in the wrong direction amid already problematic relations.
“We took note of the announcement about the intention of the Georgian authorities to close the NATO and EU Information Centre,” said Anitta Hipper, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. “In the past, the Centre served as a useful tool to promote and inform the public about the benefits of the EU and NATO integration.”
The government plans to transfer the Center’s functions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a move that Brussels finds concerning, especially as it coincides with what the EU describes as a pattern of disengagement.
“We also note that the announced closure coincides with other measures taken by the Georgian authorities to limit engagement with the EU, including the ongoing reorganisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reported dismissals of many of its employees,” Hipper said.
“These are further actions and steps in the wrong direction,” she added, warning that the EU is already implementing consequences: downgraded political contacts, halted direct assistance to Georgian authorities, suspended visa-free travel for officials and their families, with more measures possibly to follow.
Despite such relationship, Hipper emphasized the EU’s continued support for Georgian civil society.
