The European Union's ambassador to Georgia said on Wednesday that the country's process to join the bloc had been effectively halted by legislation on "foreign agents" that was signed into law this month, Reuters reports.

Georgia's Interpress news agency quoted EU ambassador Pawel Herczynski as saying the law had "a negative impact on the prospects of Georgia's progress" and that the process was now "practically stopped, practically frozen."

"In principle, the adoption of this law, as I see it, froze Georgia's integration in the European Union," said Herczynski, describing what he said was a difficult period in Georgia-EU relations.

Interpress quoted Herczynski as saying on Wednesday that EU foreign ministers will discuss Georgia's status at a meeting in Luxembourg next week.

He said various options regarding the next steps had been prepared, and that EU members states "will decide which option to implement from this menu."