2024

Statement from Ambassador Dunnigan. More..

International Solidarity with Georgian Civil Society and the people of Georgia. more...

MATTHEW MILLER, DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: „Georgia’s Western Trajectory at Risk“. More…

Statement by President von der Leyen on the situation in Georgia. More…

HR/VP Josep Borrell on the situation in Georgia. More…

JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society. more...

British Embassy Tbilisi – „The UK is concerned by the re-introduction of a draft law on “transparency of foreign influence” in Georgia and accompanying rhetoric about donors' alleged interference in Georgian internal politics.“ more…

EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski: “The European Union has made it clear that its doors are open, but Georgia needs to act now to advance towards EU membership. Last week, we regrettably saw the return of a draft law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. Maintaining an enabling environment for civil society organisations and ensuring media freedom is at the core of democracy. It is also crucial for the EU accession process. I truly hope that political leaders will implement reforms in line with the objective of joining the EU, supported by a large majority of Georgia’s citizens.”. more: 

UN Georgia expresses its profound concern with the re-introduction of the draft Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence in the Parliament of Georgia as it would impede the work of civil society and media and the essential contributions they make to Georgian democracy and society as a whole. More…

Members of the Network of Human Rights Houses urge authorities in Georgia and Republika Srpska to withdraw legislation threatening to stifle independent civil society. More…

ICNL – The Georgian draft law is similar to other laws, specifically targeting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the purpose of stigmatization. This group of foreign influence registration laws includes the Russian foreign agents law (2012), the Kyrgyz Law on Foreign Representatives (2024), Israel’s NGO law (2016), the draft El Salvador foreign agents law (2012), Hungary’s NGO transparency law (repealed) (2017), and the draft foreign agents law in the Republika Srpska (2024). More…

Statement by the EU Spokesperson on the draft law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence. More... 

2023

US Embassy Tbilisi, Georgia – „The Georgian people have, once again, spoken clearly that the only choice for Georgia is a secure and prosperous European future. We welcome Georgian Dream’s decision to withdraw both draft laws on “foreign influence.” We urge the ruling party to officially retract these bills and not pursue further this type of legislation, which is incompatible with Georgian and European values and the protection of fundamental freedoms“. More…

European Union in Georgia  announcement by the ruling party to withdraw the draft legislation on “foreign influence”. „We encourage all political leaders in Georgia to resume pro-European reforms, in an inclusive and constructive way and in line with the 12 priorities for Georgia to achieve candidate status“. more… 

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Georgia by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), have expressed their deep concern at the adoption at first reading by the Georgian Parliament of the controversial law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. Even with such an opinion from the Venice Commission, it is not clear to us how this would be sufficient to resolve the deep divisions in Georgian society and the damage to the country’s democratic institutions that this draft law has created. We therefore strongly suggest that the parliament considers removing this draft law from its agenda altogether.“ More… 

Statement by the High Representative on the adoption of the “foreign influence” law - "On Tuesday, the Georgian Parliament adopted the new law on “transparency of foreign influence” in a first reading. This is a very bad development for Georgia and its people. The law in its current form risks having a chilling effect on civil society and media organisations, with negative consequences for the many Georgians benefiting from their work“. More… 

US Embassy Tbilisi, Georgia – „Today is a dark day for Georgia’s democracy. Parliament’s advancing of these Kremlin-inspired laws is incompatible with the people of Georgia’s clear desire for European integration and its democratic development. Pursuing these laws will damage Georgia’s relations with its strategic partners and undermine the important work of so many Georgian organizations working to help their fellow citizens. The process and the draft laws raise real questions about the ruling party’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration“. More…

Assistant Secretary Todd D. Robinson – "Obviously, this is a law based on Russia's interest, not Georgia's interest. And we think it's in Georgia's interest to work more closely towards Euro-Atlantic integration. This law doesn't do that. We don't think it's the right thing for Georgia. More importantly, Georgians don't think it's the right thing for Georgia". more...

Helsinki Commission Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (SC-2), Co-Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (MD), Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Ranking Member Senator Roger Wicker (MS) issued the following joint statement: “Since regaining independence, the Georgian people have clearly and consistently chosen to be part of the democratic, Euro-Atlantic community. However, the antidemocratic, Russian-style foreign agent law would be, if enacted, a rebuke to the Georgian people’s EU and NATO aspirations and underscore the rapid decline of Georgian democracy. It would also demonstrate the present government’s increasing embrace of Russia—the same country that occupies 20 percent of Georgian territory, kidnaps its citizens, disregards its sovereignty, and wages a genocidal war against Ukraine“. more…

Senator Dick Durbin - "It is my hope that Georgia will continue its path toward the EU and eventual NATO membership. It has some serious issues to resolve on that path – and a few potentially self-inflicted setbacks to avoid, such as a proposed reckless NGO law. A step that is backward by a nation aspiring to freedom. These can be overcome in a way that ensures a better and more secure future for the Georgian people.” more… 

Statement of the EU-Georgia Civil Society Platform on two legal drafts On Transparency of Foreign Influence – „We, members of the EU-Georgia Civil Society Platform, established under Art. 412 of the Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia, call on the Parliament of Georgia to withdraw both draft laws and revoke the initiated procedure in the parliamentary committees“. more…

State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price on Foreign Agents Law - ‘’We are deeply concerned about the potential implications of this law for freedom of speech and democracy in Georgia. Our point has been a simple one, and we’ve made this point in public but we’ve also conveyed it in private. Anyone voting for this draft legislation would be responsible for potentially jeopardizing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future.” More…

Samantha Power, Administrator, United States Agency for International – “Georgia’s proposed foreign agent laws gravely threaten Georgia’s euro-Atlantic future and the ability of Georgians to fulfill their own economic, social, and other aspirations. I call upon the Georgian Parliament to drop these proposed laws”. more…

British Ambassador Mark Clayton – „The UK is seriously concerned by the proposed draft law and urges the Government of Georgia“. More…

Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović’s letter to Georgian Parlament - Commissioner urges the Georgian Parliament to reject the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence”. More…

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, The draft law on agents of foreign influence is Russia law - “This law will stop Georgians who are helping Georgians improve their communities, their society”. More (geo)… 

Statement of the United Nations in Georgia on the draft Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence –  “The United Nations in Georgia expresses profound concern that the adoption of the draft Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence would risk impeding the work of civil society and media and the essential contributions they make to Georgian democracy”. More… 

EU: Statement by the Spokesperson on the draft law on “transparency of foreign influence” – “ The proposed draft law on “transparency of foreign influence” raises serious concerns. Creating and maintaining an enabling environment for civil society organisations and ensuring media freedom is at the core of democracy. It is also key to the EU accession process and part of the 12 priorities, notably priority 7 on media freedom and priority 10 on the involvement of civil society”. More…

Statement made by The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe – “The draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” that was tabled by the People’s Power Faction raises several concerns with regard to its compatibility with democratic and Human Rights standards, said PACE rapporteurs on Georgia. We urge all other political factions in Georgia not to support this draft law that would have a chilling effect if adopted, they underlined.” More… 

State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price about draft legislation – „The proposed law would stigmatize and silence independent voices of citizens of Georgia who are dedicated to building a better future for their communities. We believe such a law could potentially undermine Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration“. More… 

STATEMENT - THE OBSERVATORY– The Observatory urges the Parliament of Georgia to reject the draft Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and calls on the authorities to respect, protect and promote the rights to freedom of association and expression in the country, in accordance with regional and international human rights standards. more…

European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) – „The stigmatization of non-governmental organizations as "foreign agents" marks the next stage in the Georgian parliamentary majority's fight against civil society. The draft law is based on the Russian example, where a similar law was introduced a decade earlier and led to the de facto liquidation of NGOs involved in monitoring political and social processes and, first and foremost, monitoring elections“. more…

The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) expresses its deepest concerns regarding initiating a draft law on “foreign agents” by Members of Parliament in Georgia. More…

German ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer – The draft law's adoption would be inconsistent with Georgia's EU aspirations and with EU norms and values As friends of Georgia, the EU position on the draft law on “transparency of foreign influence” remains the same: “The draft law's adoption would be inconsistent with ...Georgia's EU...aspirations and with EU norms and values”, Saying this as a friend. more… 

Norway MFA – „The draft law is against the Georgian people’s steadfast European aspirations and International Human Rights obligations. It will negatively affect Norwegian-Georgian cooperation“. more…