Ganja State Philharmonic Hall has hosted a concert dedicated to the work of the prominent composer, educator, and conductor, People’s Artist Said Rustamov, Azernews reports.
Day: October 1, 2024
European Commission on the Foreign Agents Law
Gert Jan Koopman, the Director General of the European Commission for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, stated at a meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament that the European Union has not abandoned the Georgian people, but it has real problems with the political course of the government.
According to Koopman, the European Union has not distanced itself from the people of Georgia, as the level of support for European values reaches 90 percent. However, the government’s policies contradict the values of the European Union.
Koopman also emphasized that a decisive factor in rectifying the situation should be the withdrawal of the “Foreign Agents Law.”
What Gert Jan Koopman said
“First of all, we all took pride in the fact that the country received candidate status last year, and it is clear that with the ‘Foreign Agents Law’ and a number of other events, it has distanced itself from the European Union.
When I say that the country has distanced itself from the European Union, it is important to clarify that the Georgian people have not distanced themselves from the EU. The level of support for the European Union and European values remains at 80-90 percent.
Therefore, the issue we are discussing concerns the government’s policies, which contradict the values of the European Union.”
It should also be noted that very little progress has been made in implementing the so-called nine recommendations. As a result, the European Council concluded that the process of Georgia’s accession to the EU is effectively suspended.
Naturally, we continue to provide clear guidance on what needs to be done to improve the situation, and it is evident that a key factor here must be the withdrawal of the “Foreign Agents Law,” which contradicts European values.
So, we have not abandoned the Georgian people; on the contrary, we have real problems with the political course of the government. I want to point out that elections will be held in Georgia next month.
What’s important to know about Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ law?
- The “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence”, initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party, was passed by Parliament on May 28, 2024. The legislation establishes a special registry for “foreign agent organizations,” defined as entities where more than 20 percent of funding comes from foreign grants. In a small and relatively poor country like Georgia, this effectively includes nearly all non-governmental organizations.
- The Parliament adopted this law despite massive protests, persistent calls from Georgia’s Western partners, and the opinion of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
- After the passage of the law, the US announced the first package of sanctions against the “Georgian Dream” government. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of a “comprehensive review of US-Georgia cooperation.”
- The European Union also took retaliatory measures. In early July, the EU halted €30 million in aid to Georgia and warned of additional measures to come. Senior EU officials have repeatedly indicated that this law distances Georgia from the EU.
- On July 11, the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed the Megobari Act, which imposes sanctions on those involved in passing the “foreign agents” law.
The Georgian government’s main argument is that similar laws exist in the U.S. and several European countries, including France. According to Georgian Dream, every country has the right to protect itself from foreign influence and demand transparency from its organizations.
However, this comparison is inaccurate because:
The American law FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act), to which Georgian Dream refers, was enacted in the U.S. in 1938, before World War II, and aimed to protect the American public from Nazi propaganda. Neither then nor now did FARA apply to America’s allies and friendly countries.
In France, the law on “Foreign State Influence” includes a specific list of countries to which the law applies. This list comprises countries whose influence France considers a threat, including Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran. The French version also specifically states that this law does not apply to EU countries. The Georgian version lacks such provisions. Consequently, this law directly impacts organizations funded by the U.S. and the EU—friendly and partner countries that support democratic processes and numerous vital projects in Georgia, ranging from healthcare and infrastructure to strengthening civil society.
Furthermore, FARA stipulates that the law does not apply to media or NGOs, only to lobbying organizations. The Georgian version does not have this clarification.
Overall, the Georgian law is similar to the Russian law, which primarily affected media and the NGO sector. As a result, all non-governmental and media organizations not controlled by the Kremlin have been shut down in Russia. Hence, the Georgian law has been dubbed the “Russian law.”
It’s also important that this law contradicts EU legislation. When a similar law was adopted in Hungary, it was annulled by the European Court of Human Rights because it was directly aimed at silencing the media and oppressing NGOs.
Zurabishvili met with the President of Germany
The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, met with the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
According to the president’s administration, during the meeting in Berlin, the President of Georgia discussed the pre-election situation in the country, which, in her words, is “influenced by Russia,” as well as the situation of the Georgian diaspora, which is facing “artificial obstacles” to participating in the elections.
According to the administration, Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed hope that pro-European forces will prevail in Georgia.
Statement from the President of Georgia’s Administration:
“The President also discussed the issue of creating [by the authorities] problems for non-governmental organizations operating in the country, such as obstacles to carrying out monitoring missions.
The President of Georgia once again reaffirmed to the President of Germany the firm position of the Georgian people, stating that the population of Georgia is entirely pro-European, and the external orientation of the Georgian people has been, is, and will continue to be European.
For his part, the President of Germany noted that he welcomes the initiative of the President of Georgia regarding the ‘Georgian Charter’ and expressed hope that pro-European forces will prevail in Georgia. Steinmeier expressed full support for the Georgian people and their struggle for a European future,” the statement said.
The ruling party, “Georgian Dream,” has published a letter from the party’s honorary chairman, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, timed for October 1, in which he threatens a “fire rain” and “collective condemnation of the National Movement” [convicted ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s party].
On October 1, 2012, when “Georgian Dream” first won the parliamentary elections, Bidzina Ivanishvili, in his extensive letter, called this day the day of the return of freedom. He writes that the “Georgian Dream” government has to “walk on a knife’s edge” to maintain “continuous peace” in the country, despite constant attempts by internal and external enemies to incite revolution and destabilize the country. Ivanishvili emphasizes the need to prevent in Georgia what is happening to “our” neighbor, Ukraine, and what happened in 2008.
The honorary chairman of the ruling party again emphasizes the necessity of obtaining a constitutional majority and repeats the four known promises if this is achieved: condemnation of the “National Movement,” unification of the country, protection of the sanctity of the family, and strengthening the role of the church.
“First, the ‘National Movement’ must be recognized as unconstitutional and then condemned to the full extent of the law. This is a collective regime that terrorized, killed, and tortured its own population and started a war.
This is necessary so that Georgia is governed by a government elected by our people, and not by the collective ‘National Movement,’ consisting of agents of foreign powers.
So that together we can fulfill the long-held dream of seeing our Homeland once again united on the basis of peace, reconciliation, and mutual forgiveness.
So that we can put an end, once and for all, to the constant attempts to insult and demean the family, nationality, and faith, and to strengthen and protect the independence of the Orthodox Church. We must enshrine in the Constitution the role of the Orthodox Church as a pillar of the Georgian state’s identity.
Thus, on October 26, the issue at hand is not a matter of political sympathies or antipathies, but the question of Georgia’s existence,” Ivanishvili’s letter states.
On October 1, 2012, “Georgian Dream” won the parliamentary elections, replaced the “National Movement,” and came to power.
Bidzina Ivanishvili has returned to politics three times. He currently holds the position of honorary chairman of the party, and top government officials make important decisions only after consulting with him — Ivanishvili also selects candidates for the positions of president and prime minister.
Ivanishvili is the only Georgian businessman included in Forbes’ list of world billionaires. As of 2024, his fortune is estimated at $7.4 billion. For comparison, in 2019, his net worth was valued at $4.9 billion.