The Swedish Government is Pausing all Direct Authority Cooperation with Georgia

Sweden has paused its direct cooperation with Georgian authorities, including work with the country’s tax authority, following recent parliamentary election irregularities observed by international monitors.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Benjamin Dousa, expressed concern, stating, “Developments in Georgia have been troubling for some time, and the reported irregularities in the recent election reinforce this concern.” Dousa criticized attempts to restrict the democratic role of Georgia’s civil society through restrictive legislation, saying such actions conflict with EU norms and values.

Dousa indicated that cooperation could resume if Georgia demonstrates renewed alignment with EU principles. Sweden currently provides Georgia with approximately 200 million kronor in aid annually, with 25 million kronor recently redirected to support civil society in light of these issues.