US Ambassador to Georgia Highlights Contrasts Between Kremlin-Inspired Law and American Law on Lobbying Activities
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
In response to the question about the lobbying activities in the case of Mikheil Saakashvili, the US ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan, highlighted the distinction between the law inspired by the Kremlin and American law, based on documents from the US Department of Justice.
According to Kelly Degnan, the Kremlin-inspired law, which was rejected by Georgia in March, specifically targeted Georgian NGOs and civil society organizations working on behalf of Georgia.
On the other hand, the American law focuses on law firms and lobbyists hired by foreign entities to work in their favor.
Degnan further noted that they have witnessed the outcome of a Russian-style law in Russia, which led to the expulsion or closure of NGOs and civil society groups that were doing beneficial work.
Degnan emphasized that Georgia already possesses great transparency and regulations under its legislation. Therefore, she believes that the matter is not about transparency, as it already exists in Georgia.
"In my opinion, we have witnessed the consequences of a Russian-style law that forced NGOs and civil society organizations engaged in beneficial work in Russia to either close down or relocate. The rejected Georgian law, which was under consideration in March, addressed this matter. I would like to reiterate that Georgia already has robust transparency measures and regulations in place within its legislation. Information about the activities of donors and non-governmental organizations in Georgia is fully accessible to anyone genuinely interested. Therefore, I do not believe that the issue revolves around transparency since it is already well-established in Georgia," stated Degnan.
