Levan Davitashvili: Georgian Dream Provided Comprehensive Clarifications on 'Foreign Influence Transparency Act'
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, April 5, 2024
Levan Davitashvili, the First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, emphasized that Georgian Dream has provided comprehensive clarifications concerning the 'Foreign Influence Transparency Act' and expressed confidence that the information disseminated to the public on this matter has been exhaustive.
"There are several issues. It is very difficult to discern any particular difficulty or element of conspiracy in this. This legislation has been adopted by many successful Western democracies, and you are also aware that similar legislation is actively being discussed in the EU.
When the European Union discusses the adoption of such legislation, it is often stated that it aims to strengthen democracy in EU member states by ensuring transparency in funding sources for all organizations. In this context, the main focus is on making clear statements regarding funding. There are no other aspects to consider. This law does not entail any other forms of liability," Davitashvili stated.
Davitashvili stressed the importance of the 'foreign influence' law in enhancing economic security, cautioning against the potential threat posed by organizations driven by specific interests that could undermine various economic projects.
"You know that every citizen and business is accountable to any financial organization. It is defined by different principles and is a sector that has not had accountability up to this point. Therefore, there is a very important need to have clear information and reporting on funding sources in this direction as well. That's all there is to talk about. It is also very important from the viewpoint of economic security because a lot of organizations act according to specific interests, potentially to the detriment of many economic projects.
Therefore, in this case, we are discussing transparency alone. It is challenging to obtain information about the origin of funding, and this could address numerous inquiries. Naturally, our population has a legitimate right to know the funding's origin, which may be linked to the expression of specific interests," said Levan Davitashvili.
