Bill on transparency cannot impede Georgia’s European integration - FM
Darchiashvili also noted the Government would discuss the transparency bill with the country’s international partners to provide “accurate” information about the draft law. Photo via MFA of Georgia
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Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday said the controversial bill on the transparency of foreign influence, reintroduced by the Parliamentary majority in the lawmaking body, could not impede Georgia’s European integration process.
Darchiashvili’s comments followed the decision of the ruling party to resubmit 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“pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad - after it was retracted last year following the public protests.
Transparency is the “main cornerstone” of European integration and “one of the main values” that brought Georgia closer to the European family, the FM noted, adding the draft law “is not related to integration into the EU in any way and it should not be discussed”.
Georgia has been implementing very actively and consistently all the mandatory reforms that we have in the format of the bilateral agreement between Georgia and the European Union”, the FM said and pointed out that Georgia had “a very clear” action plan to fulfil the priorities outlined by the European Commission for opening accession talks with the country.
“We [Georgian Government] assume responsibility for all our obligations. Georgia will definitely move to the next, most important phase - the opening of accession talks with the EU”, he stressed.
Darchiashvili also noted the Government would discuss the transparency bill with the country’s international partners to provide “accurate” information about the draft law.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said “hidden spending” of money in foreign countries “does not suit European values” in reaction to the ongoing controversy around the bill on transparency of foreign influence, reintroduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party after its original retraction last year.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Tuesday said international partners' negative reactions to the domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence were “incomprehensible”, as similar laws were in force in many countries, and some were discussing its adoption.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Saturday urged “everyone, especially [Georgia’s international] friends” not to criticise a bill on the transparency of foreign influence, as the similar laws were already in force in the United States, Israel, Canada, New Zealand and also initiated in the European Union, “with even stricter regulations”.
The “European mindset” is transparency and accountability towards the society, and the Georgian Government has already introduced the European standard of transparency, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Wednesday and noted “now it’s time” for non-governmental organisations and their donors to “get Europeanised” and the Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence “will definitely and significantly” facilitate it.