The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen condemned the violence in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, where the police used water cannons jets, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protests against the "foreign agent" law. and called on the country not to deviate from the path to the EU, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Earlier, the 150 deputies of the Georgian parliament approved the law in the second reading by 83 (out of 150) to 23 votes, notes the Associated Press.
Protesters are calling the bill the "Russian law," because neighboring Russia has used similar legal measures against independent news media and organizations critical of the Kremlin.
A third and final vote in parliament is needed before it can come into effect. Georgian MP Irakli Kobakhidze told the media today that he expects this final vote to take place in mid-May.
The law will require media and non-profit organizations to register as "protecting the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Last year, the ruling party "Georgian Dream" withdrew a similar proposal last year after many thousands of protests.
Relations between Russia and Georgia have been complicated and turbulent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. In 2008, the two countries fought a short war, as a result of which Georgia lost control over two Russian-friendly separatist regions, AP recalls. As a result, Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Moscow, and the issue of the status of the regions remains a major issue with Moscow, although relations have somewhat improved.
Georgia has joined international resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but has also become a major destination for Russians fleeing military mobilization and political repression. Even in the ruling party of Georgia, there is internal tension regarding its neighbor, AP notes.