US State Department urges Georgian Gov’t to “continue” on EU integration path amid transparency bill controversy

Vedant Patel, the Deputy Spokesperson of the United States Department of State, on Monday urged the Georgian Government to “continue” on a path of European Union integration amid ongoing public protests against the bill on transparency of foreign influence.

In his remarks, Patel said over 80 percent of Georgian citizens wanted European Union membership of the country.

“We support that aspiration, and we urge the Government of Georgia to continue on a path of EU integration and one that’s consistent with that”, he said.

The Georgian Government has said that it wanted to join the EU and have a relationship with transatlantic alliances such as NATO, but this kind of legislative activity that’s being pursued is inconsistent with those stated goals”, the official added.

Patel also commented on the arrests of two American citizens at a protest rally outside the Parliament in Tbilisi by saying “whenever a US citizen is detained abroad, we stand ready to provide all appropriate assistance”.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said  “no substantial changes” would be made to the bill during discussions with international partners on Tuesday, adding the draft law would be adopted the same day by the Parliament.

The legislative piece, 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, was supported by 83 MPs in the 150-member lawmaking body.

It requires groups “considered to be an organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power” to be registered in the public registry with the status and publicise their received funding.

President Salome Zourabichvili on Sunday said she would veto the legislative piece, however the ruling party has enough votes to override her veto in the Parliament.