Politicians’ Reactions to U.S. Senators’ Letter on Foreign Agents Bill

In the strongest U.S. response so far to developments surrounding the Georgian Dream’s reintroduction of the Foreign Agents in the Parliament, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chair of the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, joined by 12 of their colleagues wrote a bi-partisan letter to the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on April 26 expressing “profound concern” about the decision to re-table the law and warning him that if the legislation is passed the Senators “will be compelled to encourage a shift in U.S. policy toward Georgia.”

• 27/04/2024 – U.S. Senators’ Letter to PM Kobakhidze Warning of Possible U.S. Policy Shift over Agents’ Law

Civil.ge has compiled some of the reactions of the ruling party and opposition politicians to the senators’ letter.

Ruling party

Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament: “Of course, such positions are somewhat surprising and disappointing. It’s surprising because a country with stricter laws is encouraging us not to pass such a law. It is disappointing because [they] themselves are not fully within the framework of the values that are often spoken about and that we talk about, [which state] that transparency is the defining principle, that the rule of law and democracy are the main principles… instead of these calls and statements, it would be a simpler matter, which is in their hands, to publicize the funds received in Georgia from the U.S. budget”.

Irakli Garibashvili, GD Chair: “It is very unfortunate. Perhaps we should say that the content and the pathos of this letter are based on false perceptions. I would like to add one thing: it is necessary to continue dialog, communication with our friends, partners. We need to convince our American and European friends that Georgia is not doing anything unusual here.”

Mamuka Mdinaradze, Leader of the Parliamentary Majority: “We also call on those American senators who are raising the issue in this way, that yes, Georgian-American relations should be reviewed. Visa [free regime] should be opened, movement should be free – this is the right attitude between partners and friends… If we are strategic partners, Georgian citizens should be able to travel freely to the United States of America, we should have free trade and direct flights… It should also be reviewed where the money of the American people goes in Georgia and the Transparency Law will ensure this. It depends on us, we will look into it, we will pass a transparency law and you will know everything about where the money of the American taxpayer goes in Georgia… It will be the first precedent in the world for the initiation and support of the law that a person will be sanctioned. I will wait with great pleasure to see what sanction they will give me in this regard, to be the first precedent in the world to be sanctioned as a lawmaker for initiating a law”.

Opposition

Nika Melia, “Ahali”: “Georgian Dream has taken a step and the international community and the Georgian community have taken a corresponding position. Accordingly, the decision will be made by the Georgian people together with their international friends. The Russian law means that all of us, together with Ivanishvili, will be in international political isolation”.

Khatia Dekanoidze, “Euro-optimists”: “Bidzina Ivanishvili, “Georgian Dream” promises to destroy the stance and aid of the United States of America towards the Georgian people. It leaves Georgia completely vulnerable and alone with Russia”.

Salome Samadashvili, “Lelo – for Georgia”: “The aid of the United States of America in the last 30 years has been a decisive factor for the survival of our state, for the preservation of our statehood, and this aid is important for all citizens of Georgia, because more than 6 billion in aid that they have given to our people directly goes for the good of the Georgian people.”

Giorgi Vashadze, “Strategy Aghmashenebeli”: “The purpose of the Russian law is to ruin relations with our Western partners and force them to break relations with Georgia. I have two documents in my hands: one is a letter signed by 14 American senators, published yesterday, in which they openly talk about sanctions against Georgia, or rather against those who are primarily involved in this anti-Georgian case. The second is the resolution of the European Parliament, which talks about the suspension of the European integration process and the cancellation of visa-free travel for Georgia. The purpose of the Russian law is exactly this, but I would like to address our Western partners first: what Ivanishvili’s party is doing now is not the choice of the Georgian people, and this was confirmed many times at the rallies, by thousands of people.”

Giorgi Gakharia, “For Georgia”: “The bipartisan letter of the U.S. Senators and the resolution of the European Parliament confirm that the government’s policy of the last three years has brought us to the risk of breaking the strategic partnership with the U.S. and disrupting the process of joining the European Union. The government is fulfilling Russia’s strategic goal, leaving the country without friends, depriving it of the prospect of development, establishing Russian-style authoritarianism and leading to civil strife. The government is declaring Georgia’s friends – the defenders of our country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence – as enemies, openly violating the Constitution, opposing the will of the Georgian people to become a full-fledged member of the European family, and returning us to the Russian orbit. We appeal to the authorities – return to the law, return to the constitutional framework, hold free and fair elections and return the country to the path of normal, democratic development.”

Also Read:

• 25/04/2024 – Political Reactions to EU Parliament Resolution

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