Top Spanish diplomat says Georgian Gov’t, citizens “want to be part of European family”

José Manuel Albares, the Spanish Foreign Minister, on Monday said both the Georgian Government and the citizens wanted to be a “part of the European family”.

Albares’ comments came as top diplomats of EU member states on Monday gathered in Luxembourg to discuss the bloc’s possible measures following the adoption of a controversial law on transparency of foreign influence by the Georgian Parliament in May.

In his remarks over the matter, Albares noted Spain was in favour of “sending a wake-up call” to the Georgian Government at the ongoing ministerial.

Let's give a chance to Georgia, the Georgian Government, the Georgian people and their future within the European Union”, the top Spanish diplomat said.

Earlier today Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the door for Georgia to become a member of the European Union was “open” but added it would close if the country’s Government continued on its current track.

The Georgian law 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.