NATO PA: The Law on Foreign Agents Must Now Be Withdrawn
On May 26, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly issued a statement calling for immediate withdrawal of the law on Foreign Agents. The NATO PA stresses that “if the Government and Parliament want to demonstrate Georgia’s readiness to join NATO in the future, they must return onto the path of democratic reform and democratic consolidation.”
The statement reads: “The NATO PA remains firmly committed to Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy and aspiration to join NATO. We recognised Georgia as a candidate country on the understanding that NATO membership is the path that Georgia and the Georgian people have chosen and enshrined in their Constitution. However, shared democratic values are the very foundation of the NATO Alliance and respect for these values is an essential condition for becoming a NATO member.”
NATO PA emphasizes that the law on Foreign Agents “is a step backwards for Georgia’s democracy and runs counter to its NATO as well as EU aspirations and values” and if the President’s veto is overturned and the law is fully passed, “it will severely damage freedom of speech and association and undermine Georgia’s vibrant civil society and media landscape.”
The NATO PA underscores that by the reintroduction of the law Georgian government broke its promise to its people and international partners and has now responded with “unacceptable violence” towards peoples’ protests and has “chosen to ignore the clear and consistent calls from their closest partners,” which is why Georgia now stands at crossroads.
“If the Government and Parliament want to demonstrate Georgia’s readiness to join NATO in the future, they must return onto the path of democratic reform and democratic consolidation. This law, which the Georgian president has vetoed, must now be withdrawn,” – NATO PA notes, adding: “The Georgian people have demonstrated again and again that they want a democratic Georgia – in the EU and in NATO. They have protested with courage against this legislation. We will continue to support them and their aspirations.”
The statement concludes with the Assembly affirming its readiness to continue to engage in dialogue with the Georgian delegation to convey these firm messages, but also to offer its full support to Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic path.
Also Read:
- 24/05/2024 – Assistant Secretary O’Brien: Agents’ Law, GD Rhetoric Inconsistent with Georgia’s EU-NATO Aspirations
- 24/05/2024 – BREAKING: US Announces Visa Restrictions and Review of All US-Georgia Cooperation
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
