Georgia exits foreign agents law talks, EU relations at risk
The Council of Europe announced that Georgia has withdrawn from the working group on the foreign agents law. This decision may affect relations with the EU.
The Council of Europe informed that the Georgian government withdrew from participating in the working group aimed at amending the "foreign influence" law. This decision was made after a phone conversation between the Council of Europe's Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, and the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze.
The phone conversation took place on February 3, 2025. The Prime Minister of Georgia explained that "since circumstances have changed," his government does not intend to participate in the work on the law or amend it. However, Kobakhidze assured that Georgia still wants to cooperate with the Council of Europe within the framework of intergovernmental cooperation.
A rift in relations
The Council of Europe expressed "great regret" over Georgia's decision and announced an assessment of its impact. Despite this, the organization assured that it would continue dialogue with the authorities in Tbilisi. The adoption of the law triggered a crisis in Georgia's relations with the West.
The "transparency of foreign influence" law was enacted in Georgia in 2024 and requires foreign-funded organizations to register as "entities pursuing the interests of foreign powers."
According to critics, the law allows authorities to undermine civil society and introduce an authoritarian model of governance in the Russian style, primarily blocking Georgia's path to the EU. The adoption of the law triggered an unprecedented crisis in Tbilisi's relations with the West. Georgian authorities argue that it is about "transparency and defending sovereignty."
