We are ready for that and await reciprocal steps: Prime Minister of Georgia

The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, has stated that Tbilisi and Washington need to reboot their relationship amid the situation surrounding the adoption of the foreign agent law. His remarks were cited by Interfax.

“Our interest and desire is to normalize Georgian-American relations. We are ready for that and await reciprocal steps from the American side,” Gharibashvili declared.

According to him, military assistance from the United States is crucial for Georgia, and both sides must act pragmatically on this issue. At the same time, Gharibashvili noted that a statement from Washington indicating that financial aid to Tbilisi could be suspended due to the foreign agent law has implications.

“Former U.S. ambassador Ian Kelly told me that U.S. financial assistance to Georgia is primarily carried out through non-governmental organizations. When it comes to financing non-governmental organizations, I wouldn’t call it assistance to the state,” the Prime Minister of Georgia stated.

Previously, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced that the U.S. would impose visa restrictions on Georgia due to the adopted foreign agent law.

On June 3, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, signed the bill on “Transparency of Foreign Influence,” which has come into force. The law requires non-governmental organizations and media outlets receiving more than 20 percent funding from abroad to register as “organizations acting in the interests of foreign powers.” Additionally, such NGOs and media outlets must submit annual income and expenditure declarations to the Ministry of Finance.