Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys is calling on the European Union to take action against Georgia. He met with EU officials in Brussels ahead of a meeting about how to respond to the violence and protests in Tbilisi.
Budrys said that Lithuania has already imposed sanctions on 30 people who were involved in suppressing opposition protests. He wants the EU to do the same. He also thinks that the EU should stop letting Georgian diplomats and government officials travel freely within the EU, at least for now.
The Foreign Minister suggested that the EU should talk with Georgia about its relationship with them, but not with the Georgian government. He also thinks the EU should give financial help to Georgian civil society groups, which support democracy.
When asked if Lithuania still supports Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, Budrys said they do, and think holding new elections is a good way to solve the problem.