EU's von der Leyen urges Georgia to stay the course on road to EU

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the violence in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on Wednesday, where police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators opposed to a law on "foreign agents", and she urged the country to stay the course on the road to Europe.

Georgia's parliament voted earlier to approve the second reading of foreign agents bill, which has been criticised as Kremlin-inspired, as thousands of protesters opposed to the draft demonstrated outside.

"Georgia's citizens are demonstrating their strong attachment to democracy. The Georgian government should heed this clear message," von der Leyen said in a statement.