Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili said today that the "foreign influence" law, approved by parliament this week and described by critics as a threat to freedom of speech, "is unacceptable," the Associated Press reported, citing BTA.
In an AP interview, Salome Zurabishvili sharply criticized the ruling party "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia" for pushing through the law, which is considered by many to be a threat to Georgia's ambitions to join the EU.
"It is unacceptable because it reflects a reversal in Georgia's attitude to civil society, to the media and to the recommendations of the European Commission, which do not correspond to our declared European integration policy,", she said.
Huge crowds of protesters blocked streets in the capital Tbilisi and gathered outside the parliament building after lawmakers approved the law on Tuesday despite strong criticism from the US and the EU.
Zourabishvili, who is increasingly at odds with the ruling party, has vowed to veto the law, but "Georgian Dream" has enough of a majority to overcome it.