The Assistant Secretary of State for the U.S. expressed his concerns that the adoption of the law on "foreign agents" by the Georgian parliament could mark another "turning point" in the tumultuous history of the former Soviet state.
If the law goes forward out of conformity with EU norms and there's undermining of democracy here and there's violence against peaceful protesters - peaceful protestors, then we will see restrictions coming from the United States—O’Brien announced during a press conference after his meetings with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi.
He added that this could involve financial sanctions and visa restrictions for individuals who breach democratic norms.
Washington responds harshly to Georgian politicians
The envoy from Washington sharply criticized the narrative and theories promoted by the Georgian government, especially by the governing oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. They depicted the USA as an "enemy" and discussed the need to break away from the "global war party," which they believe controls America and Europe.
This is like a Reddit page came to life. It is unreal, wrong, and a complete misunderstanding of the international community’s relationship to Georgia, said O’Brien.
The official added that if Georgia considers the USA an enemy, Washington will consider cutting off all aid to Georgia, which is almost £320 million. He also stated that the law on "foreign agents" might change Georgia's relationship with the West.
"Kremlin-style legislation"
White House and State Department representatives also used similarly critical tones to describe the law adopted on Tuesday.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called it "Kremlin-style legislation," forcing the USA to "fundamentally" rethink its relationship with Georgia. Her counterpart from the State Department, Vedant Patel, remarked that despite the law being passed, it's still possible to alleviate it so it doesn't infringe on democratic principles.
The law on "foreign agents" and a wave of protests
The Georgian parliament voted on the law despite weeks of massive protests in Tbilisi. Although President Salome Zurabishvili announced she would veto the new law, the governing coalition has enough votes to override the veto.
The law, similar to the initial, relatively "mild" version of the Russian law on foreign agents (which was later tightened), requires legal entities and media receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to undergo mandatory registration and reporting and will be entered into a special registry of foreign influence agents. The Ministry of Justice will have the discretion to conduct inspections of such organizations.
Opponents of the authorities argue that the law could, like in Russia, be used to suppress the opposition and independent media. Both the opposition and participants in protests against the new law believe it contradicts Georgia’s aspiration towards the European Union.
According to Georgian leaders, the ruling party, Georgian Dream, insists that the project "serves transparency and protection of sovereignty" and will resist external pressure, including from the "global war party," which the West has succumbed to.
