Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili will Veto Russian Law on Foreign Agents if adopted, Confirms Parliamentary Secretary Giorgi Mskhiladze.
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"After the initiation of the aforementioned bill by the majority, we witnessed widespread reactions from various quarters including the European Union, NATO Secretary General, and our international and strategic partners, notably the USA. They underscored that the passage of this law would impede Georgia's progression toward European integration.
Consequently, we firmly insisted on its non-registration to prevent its discussion in committees and halt the promised debate on the law from last year. The president will, naturally, exercise his constitutional right to veto the aforementioned law," stated Mskhiladze in parliament following the bureau session.
Despite criticism from strategic partners, the Parliament Bureau has registered the draft law "On transparency of foreign influence" initiated by the ruling party. It is scheduled for consideration by the Legal Affairs Committee on April 15.
Today, representatives of independent media outlets, who assert their determination to prevent the adoption of the Russian law, were illegally restricted from entering the parliament.
Georgian Dream aims to shepherd the parliament into adopting the Russian law on so-called foreign agents in all three readings by the end of the current session, a move it previously declined in March 2023 amid protests and international pressure. The text of the bill remains unchanged, with only "agent of foreign influence" replaced by "organization carrying the interests of a foreign power." Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of Georgian Dream, emphasized that even in the face of larger protests than last year, the bill will not be withdrawn. To override the president's veto, 76 votes of deputies are required, a threshold the ruling party possesses.
