Georgia to lose 121 million euros in EU funding over 'democratic backsliding', says EU delegation

Georgia eyes EU candidate status but membership still a distant dream

(Reuters) - The European Union delegation to Georgia said on Tuesday that the South Caucasus country would lose 121 million euros ($130 million) in funding from the bloc as a result of "democratic backsliding."

The delegation said in a post on X that Georgia's remaining unspent EU funds from 2022 and 2023 "will be lost". Georgia is a candidate member to the EU.

EU Ambassador to Tbilisi Pawel Herczynski warned last week that Georgia's ties with Brussels will suffer and it may even face sanctions if it veers away from democracy.

Georgia is due to hold a parliamentary election on Oct. 26.

($1 = 0.9107 euros)

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Andrew Osborn)