LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will limit engagement with the Georgian government and restrict defence cooperation, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday in a statement condemning violence against protestors and journalists there.
The South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people has been rocked by protests since late November after the ruling Georgian Dream party announced it was suspending efforts to join the European Union.
Police have clashed violently with pro-EU protesters, scences which Lammy said were “shocking”. He said they were “unacceptable” and called for them to stop.
“In light of ongoing events, the UK will immediately suspend all programme support to the Georgian government, restrict defence cooperation, and limit engagement with representatives of Georgian Dream government until there is a halt to this move away from European democratic norms and freedoms,” Lammy said in a statement.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by William James)
