The move is expected to damage the country's reputation in the West and jeopardise an already fragile economic recovery.

Parliament has also lowered the budget deficit to 6.9 percent from 7.6 percent and the government's debt to 54.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to the IMF forecast, Georgia’s GDP is projected to grow 7.7 percent in 2021 and 5.8 percent in 2022.