Prepared by Messenger Staff
Papuashvili Defends Proposed 'Foreign Agent' Law as Direct Copy of U.S. Legislation
The Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, has defended the controversial Foreign Agents bill, claiming it is an exact translation of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Papuashvili stated that anyone objecting to the law should first address their concerns to the United States.
Speaking to journalists, Papuashvili announced that discussions on the bill would begin in Parliament next week. "Everyone will see that this is an accurate translation. If anyone has complaints about any word, comma, or period in the text, they should first contact the United States of America and then tell us what they don't like about the American system. We will be happy to hear what they dislike about the American system in this regard," he stated.
The proposed legislation, which has drawn criticism from opposition groups and international organizations, has been labeled by critics as an attempt to restrict media and civil society organizations. Papuashvili dismissed these concerns, accusing foreign politicians, diplomats, and ambassadors of spreading "absurd conspiracies, disinformation, and false narratives" about the bill. "Yes, here is the American law - word for word, identical. If they have any complaints about the U.S. system, let them tell us about it," he asserted.
Additionally, Papuashvili addressed the ruling party's plans to introduce a new "Law on Media," which he claimed would be modeled after British standards. He argued that the law would not introduce anything new but rather reinforce existing journalistic norms.
"What journalistic standards are, everyone knows. It's just that some people want to turn journalists into political activists outside of journalistic standards. Therefore, there is nothing new here either," he said.
Georgia Seeks to Renew Strategic Partnership with the US
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that Georgia aims to not only reset but also renew its strategic partnership with the United States, offering a specific roadmap for future cooperation. In a recent address to the media, Kobakhidze highlighted that this is an open invitation from the Georgian government to US authorities.
"We want not only to reset relations, but more than that, we want to renew the strategic partnership with a specific roadmap," he emphasized. Kobakhidze acknowledged the Trump administration's current focus on domestic issues and the ongoing war, which may limit attention to Georgia at this stage. However, he is confident that, in due course, the administration will recognize the importance of Georgian-American relations.
"At a certain stage, the time will definitely come when the Trump administration will take a serious interest in Georgian-American relations," Kobakhidze remarked.
