Islam Times - New EU Top Diplomat Threatens Georgia with Sanctions

Islam Times - The EU's new Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas on Sunday threatened Georgian authorities over pro-western protesters who disagree with the government's decision to shelve its bid to join the bloc.

Violent clashes erupted on Saturday outside Georgia's parliament between police and demonstrators protesting the government's decision to delay European Union membership talks amid a post-election crisis.

"It is clear that using violence against peaceful protesters is not acceptable, and the Georgian government should respect the will of the Georgian people," Kallas told journalists.

"When it comes to European Union, then this clearly has consequences on our relationship with Georgia," she added.

Kallas, who took office on Sunday with a visit to Ukraine, said "options" had been put forward to the EU's 27 member states on how to respond, including potentially imposing sanctions, AFP reported.

"We have different options. But of course, we need to come to agreement," she said.

Thousands of people gathered in Georgia's capital Tbilisi on Saturday for a third night of protests that saw dozens arrested.