US Ambassador to Georgia Expresses Concerns About 'Russian Law' and Its Impact on Georgia's European Integration Path
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, April 11, 2024
US Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, expressed concerns regarding the re-initiated 'Russian Law' by the Georgian Dream. She emphasized that there is worry that this bill will steer Georgia away from its path towards European integration. Additionally, the Ambassador raised concerns about the potential negative impact on the functioning of local civil societies and their ability to effectively assist the Georgian people in their daily lives.
According to Dunnigan, the concerns about the law presented by the ruling team are not limited to the United States and are also shared by the European Union, the European Council, NATO, the European Parliament, and individual European countries. They believe that the adoption of the law will have a detrimental impact on Georgia's path towards European integration.
"It is not only the USA that has this concern; the European Union, NATO, the European Council, the European Parliament, many European countries and parliaments, and the United Nations have also expressed serious concerns about this draft law. They have expressed concern that this draft law will have a negative impact on Georgia's path to EU membership.
If you have a bill that your Western partners and friends tell you they have serious concerns about, but the occupier welcomes, you have to ask yourself, is it good for your country?
I want to state once again that this bill is not similar to American legislation. The US welcomes the role of our civil society organizations and how they help our country. Our country specifically requires that organizations and individuals paid to lobby foreign governments and their interests be registered. This is a very different law. With this, I would like to state once again that the USA stands by Georgia, its people, and government and supports Georgia's European path," Dunnigan said.
The ambassador also spoke about the aid that the US provides to Georgia. She said that over the years, the US has spent 6 billion dollars because "friends want their friends to be stronger".
According to Dunnigan, the aid was used to improve Georgia's defense capabilities, border protection, repair hospitals and schools, train doctors and teachers, create centers for people with special abilities, help small businesses, open vocational schools, and send thousands of Georgians to the USA with an exchange program.
"With our help, hospitals and schools were built, we trained doctors, teachers, and emergency workers. With our help, independent living centers have been built across the country to help people with disabilities live independently. Our assistance provided loans to small farmers and small entrepreneurs. We gave young people professional education.
We have opened American centers where the English language is studied for free, and we provide books. We have given thousands of Georgians the opportunity to study in US educational programs. That's what friends do. Friends help to strengthen the country and increase its economic prosperity and defense. I am very proud of the assistance provided by the US to Georgia, as well as the non-governmental organizations that provided this assistance," stated the US Ambassador.
