In a joint statement, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supported the European aspirations of the Georgian people and called for a prompt investigation into the disputed election.
"We reiterate our concern about the conduct of the parliamentary elections in Georgia as laid down in the preliminary conclusions issued by the international election observation mission," the three leaders said in their statement.
"In particular, the reported numerous irregularities and intimidation on voters, which affected negatively public trust in the process, are of great concern," they added.
They called for "swift and transparent investigations of all complaints and reports of election-related irregularities" and declared support for "the democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people."
The Polish, French and German also appealed for "an inclusive dialogue with all political forces and civil society organizations."
Tusk, Macron and Scholz warned in their statement that they "will not be in a position to support the opening of accession negotiations with Georgia" unless the country "reverses its current course of action and demonstrates tangible reform efforts, in particular by repealing recent legislation that runs counter to European values and principles."
According to official results, the pro-Russia governing Georgian Dream party won nearly 54 percent of the vote in Georgia's October 26 election, but the vote was marred by reports of significant violations, including vote-buying, voter intimidation and ballot-stuffing. Photo: EPA/DAVID MDZINARISHVILI
In late October, 13 European Union ministers, including Poland's European Affairs Minister Adam Szłapka, demanded an impartial inquiry into the results of Georgia's contested parliamentary election.
According to official results, the pro-Russia governing Georgian Dream party won nearly 54 percent of the vote in Georgia's October 26 election, but the vote was marred by reports of significant violations, including vote-buying, voter intimidation and ballot-stuffing.
The country's pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili and opposition parties have rejected the official returns, saying the election was not fair.
Thousands of people protested in the capital Tbilisi at the start of last week.
Polish President Andrzej Duda last Monday reaffirmed Warsaw’s support for Tbilisi's aspirations to join the European Union and NATO in a phone call with Zourabichvili.
Duda's conversation with Zourabichvili came after the Polish foreign ministry expressed concern over the fairness of the Georgian election.
The results of the election dealt a blow to Georgia's pro-Western opposition, which seeks to speed up the country's integration with Europe, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Poland, France and Germany work together as part of a trilateral cooperation platform known as the Weimar Triangle.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, gov.pl