Protests are expected to continue as Western nations urge Georgian authorities not to adopt “Kremlin-style” measures.
NATO warned Georgia that its approval of controversial new legislation classifying foreign-funded NGOs as “foreign agents” was a “step in the wrong direction”.
It was also a move “away from European and Euro-Atlantic integration”, the military alliance that Georgia aspires to one day said on Wednesday, a day after the United States warned that the “Kremlin-style” law ” would force him to reevaluate ties with the country.
Tens of thousands of protesters, who have been demonstrating on the streets of the capital Tbilisi for weeks, are expected to demonstrate against the bill in front of parliament later on Wednesday.
“We call on Georgia to change course and respect the right to peaceful protest,” said NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah.
The European Union has urged Georgia to withdraw the legislation, which it said would set back the country’s ambitions to join the 27-nation bloc.
“The adoption of this law has a negative impact on Georgia’s progress on the EU path,” said a statement from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.
“The choice of the path forward is in Georgia’s hands. We urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law,” they said.
US Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien, who visited Tbilisi on Tuesday, said Washington could impose financial and travel restrictions unless the bill was changed or security forces forcibly stopped it. protests, as has occurred in recent weeks.
‘Russian Law’
The law requires media outlets, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other nonprofit groups to register as “advocating the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.
It has been dubbed “the Russian law” by opponents, who compare it to the legislation used by the Kremlin in the last decade to repress its opponents.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says it is necessary to promote transparency, combat “pseudo-liberal values” promoted by foreigners and preserve the country’s sovereignty.
President Salome Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the ruling party, promised to veto the bill, but Georgian Dream has enough of a majority to override it. Zourabichvili has 14 days to act.
On Tuesday, she met with the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Iceland who visited Tbilisi in connection with the controversial legislation.
“We talked about what the next steps are. I explained very clearly to the representatives of friendly countries that, with my veto, I would not under any circumstances enter into false, artificial and misleading negotiations. No and never!” she said after the meeting.
“I will not betray the spirit that exists in this country today and needs to open a path. I will be the opener of this path. This message will be conveyed by our friends around the world so that no one thinks they can use the President of Georgia to save the image of this government,” said Zourabichvili.
“Today, this issue is not on the agenda, Georgia’s survival is on the agenda,” she added.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, said that the Georgian government was turning its back on European leadership and therefore it was important to show support for Georgia’s pro-Western society and its president.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
