Parliament Vice Speaker: US visa restrictions on Georgian officials “wrong decision”

Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker Giorgi Kakhiani on Friday said the United States Government had made a “wrong decision” on imposing visa restrictions on members of the ruling Georgian Dream party following its adoption of the controversial law on transparency of foreign influence.

Kakhiani’s comments came after Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, on Thursday announced the US Government had imposed visa restrictions on “dozens” of Georgian individuals in its first batch of sanctions.

In his response, Kakhiani said “normalisation” of relations between the countries was “in the interest” of the two states.

On the one hand, it was not the correct decision. In this situation, steps should have been taken to normalise the situation, which is in the interest of both our country and the American side. We are strategic partners and the normalisation and further deepening of relations should be in the interest of both parties”, he said.

“At the same time, I think it was an unfair decision, considering that in the framework of a strategic partnership, Georgia has shown nothing but loyalty and trust toward our partners. On this backdrop, when sanctions are discussed and certain decisions are made, naturally, this creates a feeling of injustice even more”, he added.

The law on transparency of foreign influence 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.

It was supported by 84 MPs in the 150-member Parliament, with 30 voting against, and requires the 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.