Georgia leader visits EU chief after 'foreign agent' row / Photo: © AFP
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
-
CT scans reveal health and burial clues from Egypt’s Braided Lady mummy
-
British buyers pay substantial premiums for period-home appearance
-
Oxford faces complaints over lecturer’s classroom attire
-
Thomas Markle released to house arrest after child-abuse-image charge
-
Kyren Wilson and John Higgins reach International Championship snooker final
-
Dawn of War 4 developers chose Adeptus Mechanicus for tactical variety
-
New Zealand and Tonga meet for place in Rugby League World Cup final
-
Italy face unbeaten South Africa in Turin Nations Championship match
-
Reports of unsafe AI-toy responses renew calls for child-safety rules
-
ChatGPT interactive interface feature tested across six custom tools
-
Juneau food network combines difficult supply routes with deep sharing traditions
-
Freshways milk-price cut deepens pressure on UK dairy farms
-
India climbs green-transition ranking after first emissions decline in 25 years
-
Labour and National remain virtually tied as New Zealand vote count advances
-
Trump names Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff after midterm losses
-
The Good Daughter adapts Karin Slaughter thriller with Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy
-
Restored Albanian tower houses anchor new rural tourism trail
-
Heavy-lift drone evacuates wounded Ukrainian soldier from frontline kill zone
-
Sonia Gandhi reflects on family tragedy and reluctant political career
-
Morrison says West Brom recovered after pressure from successive derby losses
-
Pope Leo begins three-country South American tour in Uruguay
-
Britain considers 2027 state visit for Ukraine’s Zelensky
-
Khawaja says entire Australia camp knew of 2018 ball-tampering plan
-
Arizona Democrats Secure Historic Trifecta with New Legislative Leadership
-
Anna Miltina Confronted with Racism Allegations on ProSieben Show
-
Carney Welcomes U.S. Trade Reversal After Democratic Midterm Victory
-
Microsoft Xbox App Update for PC Promises 60% Faster Startup
-
Armenian FM Discusses EU Accountability for Palestinian Rights in Madrid
Georgia leader visits EU chief after 'foreign agent' row
Georgia's president was set to meet EU chief Charles Michel in Brussels Monday after the South Caucasus nation dropped a controversial "foreign agent" bill in the face of major pro-Western protests.
The Georgian government last week scrapped the legislation, that critics said was reminiscent of rules in Russia, after tens of thousands of angry demonstrators took to streets.
The European Union had slammed the proposed law and said that it ran counter to Georgia's push to join the 27-nation bloc.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has been outspoken in her support for closer ties with the West and in her criticism of the ruling party in Tbilisi, but her powers are limited.
She hailed the role of protesters who forced the government to withdraw the legislation that would have labelled NGOs and media outlets that got funding from abroad "foreign agents".
Zurabishvili on Monday also met with France's foreign minister in Paris and held talks over the weekend with top US officials in Washington.
European Council president Michel has previously sought to negotiate between Georgia's feuding political factions.
Georgia, which fought a brief war against neighbouring Russia in 2008, formally applied last year alongside Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU.
While the other two applicants were granted candidate status, Georgia was told it needed to carry out further reforms to get on the long path to membership.
K.Thomson--BTB