Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday agreed to hold talks with two former ministers and an opposition party on the country's European course, after days of increasingly tense protests by opposition supporters.

Georgia, which has been criticized for using "excessive force" to crack down on anti-government protests, has become increasingly authoritarian, according to Western governments.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the parliament, throwing stones and setting off fireworks, while police deployed water cannons and tear gas.

Protesters rallied in Georgia’s capital for a fourth straight night on Sunday and there were signs that opposition was spreading across the country to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union.

Demonstrators in the Georgian capital Tbilisi clashed with police for a fourth night of protests sparked by the ruling pro-Russia Georgia Dream Party's decision to suspend the country's bid to join the European Union.