Hundreds of Georgians march in support of country’s candidacy for European Union membership

By SOPHIKO MEGRELIDZE and ELISE MORTON
Associated Press

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Hundreds of people have marched in Georgia’s capital to support the Caucasus region country becoming a candidate for European Union membership. The EU is expected to announce Dec. 15 whether it has decided to grant Georgia candidate status, a crucial milestone for potential membership. Participants in the “Your Voice to EU” rally in Tbilisi marched from First Republic Square to Europe Square, where a huge EU flag was unfurled. The march was initiated by President Salome Zourabichvili and organized by civil society groups. Zourabichvili’s presence at pro-EU rallies and her earlier statements against a proposed foreign agent law indicate a growing divide between her and the ruling Georgian Dream party.