Ruling party official says bill on transparency of foreign influence will “let citizens will know who is friend, enemy” of country

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said once the bill on the transparency of foreign influence, currently in hearings in the Parliament, entered into force Georgian citizens would “know who is a friend and an enemy of this country”.

In his remarks over the bill, which calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, Kaladze claimed the law was inspired not by Russia, as claimed by the domestic opposition and NGO sector, but by the American legislation.

Kaladze’s comments came after the United States Department of State on Wednesday condemned what it called a “Kremlin-inspired” bill.

This law has been inspired by America, our strategic partner. We welcome the [US] Foreign Agents Registration Act law, through which a lot of dirt has become known in Georgia [about] which member of the European Parliament acts with what lobbying [against the country]. I thank the United States for this law being in force and for many things becoming known to citizens of our country”, Kaladze said.

The official added the Georgian Government was “acting in the interest of Georgia” and also said “no step” had been taken “against the interest” of the country.