Georgia’s president pledges to veto ‘foreign agent’ law as Baltic, Icelandic FMs visit Tbilisi

Georgia’s President Salome Zourabishvili assured foreign affairs ministers of the Baltic countries and Iceland on Wednesday (15 May) that she would veto the controversial ‘foreign influence’ law, though the step is unlikely to stop it from entering into force.

“I will not betray the spirit of this country (…). I conveyed the message to our friends that the president will not be used,” she told reporters in Tbilisi.

However, the ruling Georgian Dream party can override her presidential veto by amassing a simple majority of 76 votes.

According to Zourabishvili, 80-90% of the Georgian population supports the country’s European integration, and the ongoing protests are “a testament that this society adheres to fundamental European values – democracy, freedom and independence”.

“I’m sure you’ll be by our side when we get back on track,” Zourabishvili said.

The visit by foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Iceland to Tbilisi came after Georgian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a controversial ‘foreign agent’ law, which Brussels warned defies ‘European values’ and hampers the country’s path towards accession.

Their visit came as the EU itself was struggling to adopt a common position on the matter.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, forced to drop a similar bill last year due to massive public resistance, insists that it aims only to increase transparency of foreign funding of civic groups.

‘Clear message’

According to Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrelius Landsbergis, the first objective of the visit is to send a message to the Georgian government that they are abandoning the ‘European path’.

“The [Georgian] government has proven once again that it has decided to turn away from the European and transatlantic path, but the only direction to turn then is towards Russia,” he said in a statement.

“Our second objective is to pass a very clear message to the representatives of the ruling party – both in the parliament and in the government – of the risks and severe consequences Georgia will be facing if they continue on this very dangerous course,” Landsbergis said.

While recalling Georgia’s recent progress on its EU path with obtaining candidate status in December, Landsbergis stressed that “neither the achievements of the past nor those of the future, can be taken for granted” and progress “can be lost in a blink of an eye.”

“Let me be very clear here – the adoption of the ‘foreign agents’ law, as well as continued repression against Georgia’s civil society, will put Georgia’s further progress on the EU and NATO path on hold – if this happens, responsibility will lie squarely on Georgia’s government,” he said.

“There should be no illusion that cosmetic amendments to this law may make it ‘democracy- or EU-proof’: this law is not compatible with your European choice; this is not the type of law democracies pursue to adopt,” he added.

Choice between EU and Russia

“This law is a symbol. It symbolizes the choice between Russia and the European Union,” Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, adding that “the best guarantee of a Georgia democratic and successful is membership of the EU.”

“We did not come here to lecture on what the Georgian people should or should not do. (…) We know that living next to Russia is very dangerous,” Tsahkna said.

“This law violates human rights, civil liberties and everything that the European Union represents (…), and the EU will certainly react,” he added.

Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braže stressed the messages voiced in Tbilisi were not “anti-Putin” or “anti-government”.

“We hope the veto will be used for a full consideration of what it requires to be a full member of the EU,” she said.

Braže also emphasised that their countries have invested in Georgia, both financially and politically.

“This interest remains. We want to see Georgia as part of Europe,” Braže said.

On Wednesday, the group of foreign ministers is expected to meet Zourabichvili, who opposes the law, head of the Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, opposition lawmakers and civil society organisations.

In the evening, they are also expected to join the thousands of people who have taken to the streets to protest the law in the past weeks.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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