Republican Jim Risch, the highest-ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, responded to the third and final reading of the Russian Law on so-called Foreign Agents by the Georgian Parliament.
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“Today, by passing a law that would greatly damage civil society, the government of Georgia made clear it isn’t interested in a European future. This is a massive slap in the face to the 80% of Georgians who want EU membership,” wrote the senator on social network X.
Jim Risch was one of the 14 senators who sent a warning letter to the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, at the end of April. The letter stated that if the law were adopted, they would be forced to advocate for a change in US policy towards Georgia, including the imposition of individual sanctions, the termination of direct funding, and the expansion of visa restrictions. Now that Georgian Dream has not rejected the Russian Law, it is expected that 29 members of Congress will join the senators' initiative.
On April 3, 2024, Georgian Dream once again initiated the Russian Law on so-called Foreign Agents in the parliament, which had been withdrawn a year ago as a result of thousands of protests, with a promise to never accept it again. The Russian Law 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.
The law was adopted in the first and second readings on April 17 and May 1, with the final, third vote being held today at the plenary session on May 14.
84 deputies supported the Russian Law, and 30 were against it. In addition to Georgian Dream and People's Power, two members of European Socialists also voted in favor of the law.
Representatives of the opposition are calling the adoption of this law a betrayal of the state and a constitutional coup. Based on their assessment, all 84 MPs supporting the law pose a threat to visa-free travel to the European Union and the European integration process.
The Russian Law will be sent to President Salome Zourabichvili for signature, who intends to veto it.
