President Slams the Foreign Agents Draft Law from the UN Tribune, Holds Meetings
The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, is on an official visit to the United States. On March 7 she attended the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. In her speech, the President addressed the role of civil society in Georgia, including its role as a transformative force in allowing women’s voices to be heard, and in this context spoke about the recently initiated draft law on foreign agents, supported by the ruling Georgian Dream, calling it a challenge.
She slammed the draft law saying: “… the introduction by some groups in my country of a draft law that would restrict the freedom of non-governmental organizations, in which, I must say, women activists have a predominant share, will be extremely damaging to the democratic transformation of our society, to the elimination of gender-based discrimination and indeed to our European integration path. I hence express my vivid objection to this draft law internally and I seize this occasion to reiterate my position here.”
As part of her visit to the US, the Georgian president met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. According to the President’s office, the two sides discussed issues related to regional security, the war in Ukraine, Black Sea security and the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories.
The President also met with the President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset. The sides discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in the occupied regions of Georgia.
Since March 2009, Switzerland has been representing Georgia’s diplomatic interests in Russia and vice versa, as Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia following the 2008 Russian-Georgian war.
Also Read:
- 02/03/2023 – President: The activities of those who oppose the constitutional Euro-Atlantic path should be banned
- 27/02/2023 – More Severe Draft Law on Foreign Agents Submitted
- 20/02/2023 – President Refuses to Support Draft Law on Foreign Agents
- 15/02/2023 – People’s Power Tables Draft Law on Foreign Agents
- 02/03/2023 – 36 Arrests Confirmed at the Rally Against the Foreign Agents’ Bill
- 02/03/2023 – Parliament Launches Discussions on “Foreign Agents” Amid Scuffles, Endorses the Draft Laws
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
