During his March 1 visit to Georgia, European Council President Charles Michel initiated talks between the governing Georgian Dream party, the main opposition United National Movement (UNM) and other opposition parties to try to diffuse the country’s ongoing political crisis, France24 has reported. Although the session did not result in a breakthrough, talks will continue over the next two weeks and progress will be assessed at the EU-Georgia Association Council meeting on Mar. 15.

Georgia has been gripped by a tense political standoff since the Feb. 23 arrest of UNM leader Neka Melia for allegedly inciting violence during anti-government protests in 2019, a charge Melia says is politically motivated. While his detention was the spark for the immediate crisis, tensions have been simmering since disputed parliamentary elections in October 2020, which the UNM accused Georgian Dream of rigging.