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EU offers to mediate in Georgian political standoff

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The European Union wants to help resolve the political crisis in Georgia that has seen a month of opposition protests calling for the president's resignation, an EU representative said on Saturday.
TBILISI, May 9 (RIA Novosti) - The European Union wants to help resolve the political crisis in Georgia that has seen a month of opposition protests calling for the president's resignation, an EU representative said on Saturday.

"The European Union is a partner of Georgia, and we want to help to find a way out of the current situation," EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby told journalists in Tbilisi.

The Georgian opposition has been holding street protests for a month demanding that President Mikheil Saakashvili step down. This is Semneby's third visit since the demonstrations started.

He said the EU would not interfere in Georgia's internal affairs. "We can only observe and give advice," he said.

Opposition leaders held talks on Friday with the parliament leader, but the two sides could not agree on a meeting with the president.

"A meeting between Michael Saakashvili and the leaders of opposition should take place as soon as possible," Gubaz Sanikidze, an opposition leader, said at a briefing on Saturday. "The meeting should without doubt take place without a preliminary arrangement."

The opposition leaders on Thursday gave Saakashvili three days to meet with them to discuss their demand for early elections, otherwise, they threatened to start blocking the country's highways.

The opposition claim over 60 people, including six police officers, were injured in clashes at a police compound in the Tbilisi suburb of Didi Digomi on Wednesday night.

The Conservative Party said on Friday that the country's leading opposition groups had informed Tbilisi city hall they will continue their protests in the country's capital until May 26.

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