The Netherlands will call on the European Union to suspend the visa-free arrangements it has with Georgia.

Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp has said that he would submit a formal request to the EU “to make it clear to the Georgian government the path they are taking comes with a price,” Schengen.News reports.

The Dutch Minister’s request comes in response to the ongoing protests in Georgia against the Georgian Prime Minister’s announcement that the country’s membership talks with the EU would be suspended until 2028.

In the pro-EU protests in Georgia that now have entered the second week, more than 300 people were arrested by police.

Veldkamp’s comments came ahead of the two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe, in Malta.

In addition, the minister said he would call on the OSCE to investigate the government of Georgia and its actions, according to Reuters.

Suspension of Visa-Free Travel Agreement to Be Discussed Among EU Ministers

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs is not the only one to call for the implementation of such a measure. The issue may be discussed among his counterparts from all EU countries as well on December 16.

Earlier this month, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, said that the EU foreign ministers will discuss the issue of Georgia in the meeting scheduled to be held in mid-December.

Herczynski said that the potential suspension of the EU-Georgia agreement on visa-free travel will also be discussed, emphasising that all options are on the table.

What I can say is that all options are on the table. This is what we have been saying for many months, and these options also include the possibility of ending the visa-free travel with Georgia, but this will be discussed and decided by the 27 member states of the European Union.

European Parliament Calls for Re-Run of Parliamentary Elections Within a Year

On October 26, parliamentary elections in Georgia were held. The Georgian Dream Party, which has been the ruling party for over 12 years, was reelected.

The parliamentary elections in Georgia have been considered not to be free and fair by the EU ministers, therefore calling for an impartial inquiry into the complaints.

The objectives of the Dream Party are to lead Georgia towards a path different from the EU’s while the country attempts to become part of the bloc.

Particularly, the adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, similar to the foreign agent law of Russia, and the Law on the Protection of Family Values and Minors sparked controversies among Georgia and the EU.

In addition, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, said that he is suspending the EU membership talks with Georgia until the end of 2028, considering it “unacceptable for Georgia” to consider the integration into the EU as a favour that the bloc should grant to this country.

On November 28, the Members of the European Parliament rejected the outcome of recent parliamentary elections in Georgia “due to significant irregularities” and called for them to be re-run within a year.