TBILISI, Nov 19, (Xinhua): Georgia on Tuesday accused the European Union of blackmailing and punishing the country after the European Council formally approved an updated visa suspension policy that could be applied against third countries, TV Imedi reported. "We are seeing clearly that Brussels is using every mechanism, every lever, to blackmail Georgian society or to apply certain punitive instruments against it," Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili told reporters in Tbilisi.

She expressed hope that Brussels would refrain from decisions that "would amount to punishing the Georgian people." Her remarks came after the European Council approved updated rules for suspending visa-free travel for citizens of third countries.

According to the Council, the amended rules will allow the EU to react "quicker and more vigorously" to situations in which visa-free travel is abused or works against its interests. The rules increase the initial suspension period from nine to 12 months, with a possible extension of 24 months.