Germany, France and Poland condemn violence in Georgia, stress support for pro-democracy movement

Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland have expressed concern about “the political crisis” in Georgia, two days after former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili was formally inaugurated as president of the South Caucasus nation, cementing the ruling party’s grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s European Union aspirations. The three countries wrote in a joint statement Tuesday that they “strongly condemn last week’s violence against peaceful protesters, media and opposition leaders. In reaction to the Russia-friendly course of the ruling Georgian Dream party, the three countries have vowed to implement the EU decision to end visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders.