NATO Sec-Gen opposes “any attempt” by Georgian Gov’t to reintroduce transparency bill

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said he opposed “any attempt” by the Georgian Government to introduce the draft bill on transparency of foreign influence, and stressed it would “contradict the whole effort” of strengthening the democratic institutions in the country.

Stoltenberg commented on the decision of the ruling party to resubmit a bill calling 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.

In his remarks at the press conference in Brussels, the Secretary General noted Georgia “should work on reforms to move closer” to NATO and the European Union, adding the EU had a “very clear” stance on the bill.

I visited Georgia, Tbilisi, just a few weeks ago. And, of course, one of my main messages was the importance of reforms, of strengthening democratic institutions. And the Georgian people have also made it clear that they want a democratic prosperous future within the European and Euro-Atlantic family”, Stoltenberg emphasised.

He pointed out that introducing the law would “undermine the whole idea” of making Georgia a stronger democratic society.