The adoption of this law poses an irreparable risk of damaging relations with our partners and European integration, - The PMCG Research Center on "Russian Law" publishes.
"Re-initiation of the draft law on the "Transparency of Foreign Influence" at the Parliament of Georgia has demonstrated that even parliamentary hearings are extremely damaging for the country. Subsequent tensions have resulted in polarization and stigmatization, and developed mistrust both within society and towards our partners, who have long supported our efforts directed at ensuring national security, building democracy, and advancing the economy.
As we have stated before, the draft law of "Transparency of Foreign Influence" is unreasonable for our country, where Georgian citizens uphold the principles of the rule of law and transparency, warranted by existing robust legal and institutional mechanisms. This law will not promote transparency but rather the endless cycle of foreign agency labeling. It is unacceptable to mark thousands of individuals as subjects of "foreign influence" based on their engagement in projects funded by international and foreign organizations, especially since the majority of these projects were carried out in cooperation with state institutions. Their work has been focused on advancing education, healthcare, economy, social affairs, and other critical fields; in a highly professional manner, their efforts were focused on bringing the country closer to European and global standards.
The adoption of this law poses an irreparable risk of damaging relations with our partners and European integration, leading to the country's isolation. Considering these risks, the mentioned law will bring more damage than it appears from the current perspective, undermining national unity, the rule of law, economic prosperity, foreign investment, democratic institutions, educational advancement, resilience of civil society, and a range of other areas crucial to our progress. We once again implore the Parliament of Georgia to seize the discussions regarding the law on "Transparency of Foreign Influence" - writes Policy and Management Consulting Group.
