Economy Minister expects “continued, effective cooperation” with partners following transparency law adoption

Levan Davitashvili, the Minister of Economy and the First Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, on Monday said he expected “continued, effective and mutually beneficial” cooperation with the Government’s foreign partners following the adoption of the controversial law on transparency of foreign influence.

Davitashvili claimed reactions to the law had been “exaggerated” due to “emotions” and said he hoped there would be a “more rational approach” to the legislative piece following its adoption.

• Parliament Speaker formally approves controversial law on transparency of foreign influence

He also urged “open discussion of any specific comments and opinions”, instead of what he called  “simply approving or rejecting” it “without proper consideration”.

The Minister also highlighted the need for a “practical assessment of the law’s enforcement”, expressing hope it would lead to a “more transparent environment that will ultimately serve the country’s interests”.

He “firmly dismissed” the notion that 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 - had negatively impacted foreign investment in Georgia.

Davitashvili said the law was “unrelated to investments” and urged “patience to observe the results” before assessments.

The law has been met by criticism from some of Georgia's foreign partner governments and public protests across the country.