James C. O'Brien, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs of the United States of America, is scheduled to visit Tbilisi on May 14. His visit coincides with the third and final reading of the Russian Law in the Georgian Parliament.
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As per the State Department, O'Brien will meet with government, civil society, and private sector representatives in Georgia to express the strong U.S. commitment to the Georgian people and Georgia's desire for a peaceful, prosperous, and secure Euro-Atlantic future.
O'Brien responded to the events in Georgia on May 11 at X, noting that the U.S. is deeply concerned about violence against people who oppose the "Kremlin-inspired foreign influence law."
“We condemn this. A country intent on moving toward the EU and transatlantic organizations would conduct full, independent, and timely investigations,” wrote the Assistant Secretary of State.
Earlier, O'Brien said that the "Kremlin-inspired" law would have a negative impact on Georgia's European aspirations.
In the week of May 13, the third reading of the Russian Law proposed by Georgian Dream is planned in the parliament. The ruling party intends to adopt the law at the May 14 plenary session.
As the Prime Minister stated, from May 14 to 28, it is possible to reconcile the positions regarding the law within the veto procedure. When asked by a journalist if Georgian Dream is ready to make changes to the bill, Kobakhidze answered, "Of course. So what's the point of the discussion? We will receive legal notices, and we are talking about sharing that."
Twenty-nine congressmen are calling on Kobakhidze to withdraw the "damaging bill." In the letter sent to the head of the Georgian government, the American legislators note that otherwise, they will join the initiative of the senators, which means encouraging a change in US policy towards Georgia. This could include a review of financial assistance and the imposition of visa and financial sanctions on those responsible for "undermining the democratic development of Georgia."
On April 3, 2024, Georgian Dream once again initiated the Russian Law on so-called Foreign Agents in the parliament, which was withdrawn a year ago as a result of thousands of protests, and promised to never accept it again. The Russian aw requires independent media and non-governmental organizations that operate with grant support from international funds and cannot be controlled by the government or related groups to register as foreign agents. More than 150 non-governmental and media organizations issued a statement that they will not be registered in the "defamation register" under any circumstances.
