The United States said on Saturday it had suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia following the decision by the Georgian Dream party to suspend accession to the European Union, and government's violent crackdown against protesters in a third straight night of demonstrations, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership," State Department's Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism," he added.
Dozens of demonstrators have been arrested as crowds clashed with police after hundreds of thousands poured onto the streets outside the Parliament building since Thursday night and were dispersed by riot police using water cannons and tear gas.
On Saturday night, protesters returned, blocking a long stretch of Tbilisi’s main Rustaveli Avenue and the surrounding streets. Police also reportedly used heavy force against members of the media and deployed water cannons to push protesters back along Rustaveli Avenue.
The crackdown on protests has provoked international condemnation.
"We condemn excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest and have suspended our Strategic Partnership with Georgia," Matt Miller said Saturday. "Georgian Dream's decision to suspend EU accession is a betrayal of the Georgian constitution."
"We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression," he went on to add.
The EU, alongside several European countries, such as France, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden, Lithuania, the UK and others, have voiced concern.
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