I will definitely veto the law, my veto is the voice of the people, - said the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili in an interview with BBC News.
"The main concern is that this is an exact copy of Putin's law, which was adopted in 2012 and has gradually grown and developed. This is a law against the activities of non-governmental organizations, against the activities of the media, and this is a law against all international organizations of our partner countries, European countries, Great Britain and the USA, which support the independence of Georgia, the construction of state institutions, and the development of our economy for more than 30 years. Last year, the same law was rejected as a result of massive demonstrations and failed to pass. This time, repeating this law from the beginning is a direct provocation", said Salome Zourabichvili.
In addition, Salome Zourabichvili noted in the interview that the information about the funding received by non-governmental organizations is transparent, and according to the president, "what is not transparent is corruption at the highest level of the government".
"You know that international organizations that support Georgia have very strict rules when they are financed, in terms of transparency of their support. This is clear. Anyone can find these details. What is not transparent is corruption at the highest levels of government. It is not transparent in its decisions, especially this decision to re-introduce the law when all our European partners have said it is against future integration into the EU. Who decided that this law should be re-introduced, was this decision made in Georgia or outside our borders, in Moscow? About transparency, this is the main question that Georgians ask, a large number of Georgians ask. Today is already the third day of massive demonstrations, peaceful demonstrations, and I call on the government not to resort to direct or indirect aggression," said the President of Georgia.
Salome Zourabichvili also answered the question about the chances of joining the European Union if the law is adopted and noted that "this is a law that clearly shows the intention of some members of the government to hinder the European integration of Georgia".
"But what is happening in the streets shows us that people have already made a decision in this direction. The main task will be with the elections on October 26, and this law is also a way to prevent fair and free elections. But I don't think this will happen, because the people of Georgia have decided on independence for centuries," the President of Georgia said, adding that she will veto the law.
"I will definitely veto the law, as I do with all other laws. Because it's not just one, it's the whole strategy that goes against EU recommendations. My veto will be overridden in the parliament, where the majority can do it. But my veto is the voice of the people and this voice will be heard loud and clear", said Salome Zourabichvili.
