The US said today it is deeply troubled by the retreat from democracy in Georgia, which Washington says faces a choice: choose to pass the law “for foreign agents” (known as the Russian law) or to support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of its people, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
„We are deeply concerned about the retreat from democracy in Georgia. Georgian MPs are facing an important election – to support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people or to adopt the Kremlin-style "Foreign Agents" law that is contrary to democratic values. "We have stood by the Georgian people," wrote on the social network "X". White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The bill requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence,” but its passage sparked a political crisis in Georgia, where thousands of people took to the streets to demand that it be withdrawn. The ruling party “Georgian Dream“ stated that the law will increase transparency and strengthen the country's national sovereignty.
Party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili said the law was needed to stop the West trying to use Georgians as “smoke“ in a confrontation against Russia.
Sullivan stated that “Georgian Dream” is deliberately trying to distance itself from the West, although both it and Georgian public opinion traditionally support the country's accession to the EU and NATO.
„The recent rhetoric of the “Georgian Dream”, proposed legal changes and actions against the aspirations of the Georgian people aim at isolating Georgians from the US and Europe”, wrote in “Ex“ the White House national security adviser.