Georgian foreign office summons Lithuanian Ambassador over transparency law controversy

Andrius Kalindra, Lithuania's Ambassador to Georgia, was on Friday summoned to the Georgian foreign office over the presence of the country’s Foreign Minister at Tbilisi rallies against the controversial Georgian law on transparency of foreign influence earlier this month and comments by Lithuanian officials following the development.

The Georgian Ministry said the Ambassador was told “recent statements” by Lithuanian officials, Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis’ presence at the public protest and summoning of the Georgian Ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania due to the adoption of the law represented “gross interference in the internal affairs” of the country and were “not compatible with the traditionally friendly and partnership relations” between the two states.

It added the officials in the meeting expressed their hope for a “return of relations between the two countries to a positive agenda”.

The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday overrode the veto placed by President Salome Zourabichvili on the controversial law with 84 votes against four, on the backdrop of ongoing public protests.

The legislative body adopted the original version of the law, which requires 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.