US deeply concerned about ‘foreign agents’ bill approved by Georgia’s parliament

WASHINGTON

The US said Wednesday that it remains deeply concerned about a bill on “foreign agents” whose first reading was approved by Georgia’s parliament, which sparked protests in the capital Tbilisi.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that the “draft legislation, if enacted, could stigmatize civil society organizations working to improve the lives of Georgian citizens and media organizations operating within Georgia to provide information to Georgian citizens.”

“We think that civil society, journalism, media organizations are cornerstones to any democratic society, and we urge the Georgian government to heed warnings that this bill is not in line with the European Union’s norms and values, and it would certainly negatively impact Georgia’s progress on its EU path,” he said.

“We will continue to urge and reiterate with the Georgian government our dire concern at this legislation,” he added.

Georgia voted Wednesday to advance a bill on “foreign agents,” which critics claim will undermine democracy.

The EU called the approval a “very concerning development,” saying that the bill's final adoption would negatively impact Georgia’s EU accession process.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was quoted by the country’s public broadcaster 1TV during a press conference in Tbilisi as saying that parliamentary discussions “confirmed” that "opponents of the bill have no argument against it."

He said the bill “serves the nation’s European integration objective.”

The bill requires organizations, including media outlets, that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. It also obliges them to publish annual financial reports.

The bill, first introduced in March 2023, was shelved after it triggered mass protests resulting in the arrests of 66 people and more than 50 law enforcement officers being injured.

Earlier this month, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the parliamentary leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said they will resubmit the draft legislation on the "transparency of foreign influence" to parliament.

Critics say the bill would undermine democracy and have labeled it as a "Russian law," but members of the ruling majority say it would boost transparency.