During a press conference in Tbilisi on Tuesday, US Assistant Secretary of State Jim O’Brien warned that the US could impose economic sanctions on Georgian officials. The reason was the controversial law on foreign agents, which passed despite powerful opposition in the Georgian parliament.
“If this law goes forward, it’s shoddy and undermines democracy here, and if there’s violence against peaceful protesters, we’ll see restrictions from the United States,” O’Brien said. Violators of democratic norms may include economic sanctions, both financial and visa restrictions.
O’Brien spared no harsh words for the Georgian government, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kopakitse, who portrayed the United States as the enemy and spoke of the need to break with the “global war party” they believe controls America and Europe. .
— O’Brien opined that this is like a page on Reddit (discussion site) that is untrue, inaccurate, and a complete misunderstanding of the international community’s relationship with Georgia. He suggested that Washington would consider cutting off nearly $400 million in aid to Georgia if Georgia viewed the United States as an enemy.
US may impose economic sanctions on Georgia. This is about the “Foreign Agents” Act
The White House and State Department also criticized the adopted legislation. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre described it as “Kremlin-style legislation” that would force the United States to “fundamentally” rethink its relationship with Georgia. Vedant Patel of the Ministry of External Affairs assessed that despite the passage of the law, it is still possible to relax it without violating democratic principles.
The Law on Foreign Agents stipulates that legal entities and media receiving more than 20 percent of funding from abroad are subject to mandatory registration and reporting and are entered into a special register of agents of foreign influence. The Ministry of Justice can conduct inspections of such organizations under any pretext.
Opposition parties and participants in mass protests against the new law are convinced that the law conflicts with Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union. Meanwhile, the ruling Georgian Dream party declares that the plan “helps protect transparency and sovereignty” and that it will not succumb to external pressure.