Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze rejected criticism made by The USA and the EU in connection with the bill on "foreign agents", stating that the opponents of the proposed text do not wish to enter into a meaningful debate, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
The bill, which was approved in second reading by the Georgian parliament this week, requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. Opponents of this requirement describe it as authoritarian and Kremlin-inspired, notes Reuters.
Several thousand people on Friday went on a protest march against the new legislative measures. Disgruntled citizens headed to the headquarters of the ruling party "Georgian Dream" and later attended a Good Friday service.
Brussels and Washington have called on Tbilisi to abandon the bill, as it risks damaging its chances of becoming part of the EU and opening up a wider Euro-Atlantic future.
Kobahidze, for his part, stated that legal changes are necessary to achieve transparency and accountability in the country.
"I explained to (senior US diplomat Derek) Scholle that the misstatements by US State Department officials regarding the transparency bill and the street marches remind us of similar false statements made by the former US ambassador in 2020-2023 .", the Georgian Prime Minister wrote on the social network "X". He pointed out that Washington's previous statements had encouraged violence by "foreign-funded" activists and have supported "revolutionary processes", which he says have been unsuccessful.
"I explained to Mr. Shole that, against this background, special efforts are needed to restart relations (between Georgia and the US), and this is impossible without a fair and honest approach," Kobakhidze added.
The White House has expressed concerns that planned legal changes could stifle dissent and free speech.
The Georgian Prime Minister also showed disappointment in his conversation with the President of the European Council Charles Michel, pointing out that the EU "does not want to engage in substantive discussions". "Furthermore, I emphasized that so far we have not heard any counter-arguments against the proposed legislation," Kobakhidze noted.
Michel wrote in "X" that "the call of Georgian citizens for an open, democratic and pluralistic society must be heard". "The future of Georgia is in the EU. Don't miss this historic chance", added the President of the European Council.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, billionaire and founder of the Georgian Dream party, who is also a former prime minister, said he would fight for what he called the "full restoration of Georgia's sovereignty".