Parliament Vice Speaker says Georgia needs “same protection mechanisms as EU”

Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker Archil Talakvadze on Tuesday said the country needed the “same protection mechanisms” that existed in the European Union, in comments over the controversial domestic law on transparency of foreign influence.

Talakvadze said the regulations adopted through the law by the Parliament were “similar to those effective in 15 EU member states”.

Our country is located in a very difficult geopolitical location, so we respond accordingly to these challenges. The Parliament of Georgia adopted transparency regulations similar to those of 15 EU countries - I mean transparency registries. The protection mechanisms that Europe needs, the EU needs, Georgia needs too”, he said.

The Parliament last Tuesday adopted the law, which requires groups “considered to be an organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power” - determined by over 20 percent of their funding coming from abroad - to be registered in the public registry with the status and publicise their received funding.