NewsUS warns Georgia of sanctions over "Kremlin-style" foreign agents law

US warns Georgia of sanctions over "Kremlin-style" foreign agents law

Images source: © East News | GIORGI ARJEVANIDZE

15 May 2024 19:37

Washington is considering sanctions against Georgian officials over the newly adopted "foreign agents" law, which has been criticized for echoing Kremlin tactics. During a press conference in Tbilisi, Assistant Secretary of State Jim O'Brien emphasized the law's potential to derail Georgia's democratic progress and its alignment with EU norms, threatening to cut nearly £320 million in aid if the law undermines peaceful protests and democracy.

Assistant Secretary of State for the U.S., Jim O'Brien, declared that Washington might impose sanctions against Georgian officials over the law on "foreign agents" they adopted. The White House labelled the law as "Kremlin-style."

The Assistant Secretary of State for the U.S. expressed his concerns that the Georgian parliament's adoption of the law on "foreign agents" on Tuesday could be another "turning point" in the former Soviet state's tumultuous history.

- 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 on Tuesday during a press conference after meetings, among others, with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, in Tbilisi.

He added that this might involve financial sanctions and visa restrictions for individuals who breach democratic norms.

Washington responds harshly to Georgian politicians

The envoy from Washington harshly addressed the narrative and theories promoted by the Georgian government, especially the governing oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. They depicted the USA as an "enemy" and spoke about the necessity of breaking away from the "global war party," which, in their opinion, 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 assessed that the law on "foreign agents" might change Georgia's relationship with the West.

"Kremlin-style Legislation"

Representatives of the White House and the State Department used Similarly critical tones to describe the law adopted on Tuesday.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre described it as "Kremlin-style legislation" which forces the USA to "fundamentally" rethink its relationship with Georgia. Her counterpart from the State Department, Vedant Patel, noted at the same time that the USA still believes that despite the law being passed, it is still possible to soften it so it does not violate democratic principles.

The law on "foreign agents" and a wave of protests

The Georgian parliament voted on Tuesday on the law despite weeks of massive protests in Tbilisi. Although President Salome Zurabishvili already announced that she would veto the new law, the governing coalition has enough votes to override the veto.

The law is based on the first, relatively "mild" version of the Russian law on foreign agents (which was later tightened). It stipulates that legal entities and media receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad must undergo mandatory registration and reporting and will be entered into a unique registry of foreign influence agents. The Ministry of Justice will be able to conduct inspections of such organizations at any discretion.

According to opponents of the authorities, the law may, like in Russia, be used to destroy the opposition and independent media. Both the opposition and participants in mass protests against the new law believe that the law is contrary to Georgia's aspiration towards the European Union.

The ruling party, Georgian Dream, claims that the project "serves transparency and protection of sovereignty" and will not succumb to external pressure, including from the "global war party," which the West has given in to, according to Georgian leaders.