Georgia's ruling party and the opposition signed Monday an EU-mediated agreement to end a months-long political crisis that raised concerns in the West over the ex-Soviet country's backsliding on democracy. Ending the opposition's parliamentary boycott and paving the way for sweeping electoral and judicial reforms, the anti-crisis agreement -- tabled the day before by the European Council President Charles Michel -- was signed by representatives of all political parties. Georgia's main opposition force, the United National Movement (UNM), said it would join the deal after its jailed leader Nika Melia is released from prison as stipulated in the agreement. Michel praised the deal as "a truly European way of resolving the crisis" and "the starting point... towards consolidating Georgia's democracy." He oversaw the televised signing ceremony held in Georgia's presidential palace by video link from Brussels and was to visit Tbilisi on Tuesday. Michel said he would discuss with Georgian political leaders joint steps aimed at strengthening the ties between the EU-aspirant nation in Europe's extreme southeast and Brussels. Georgia has been gripped by a political crisis since October's parliamentary elections which opposition parties denounced as rigged. After the vote, opposition lawmakers refused to assume their seats in new parliament and staged mass protests to demand snap polls. The stalemate worsened in February after police arrested UNM leader Melia in a violent raid on his party headquarters, leading the prime minister to resign and prompting swift condemnation from the West. im/emg/bp