US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O'Brien, responded on Tuesday to claims by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who asserted the previous day that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling party, had declined to meet the visiting US official due to alleged "de facto sanctions" against him.

O'Brien clarified, "At this stage, there are no sanctions against him. The fact that such an influential person is misinformed is truly astonishing and regrettable." He criticized the notion of prioritizing personal interests over national obligations as outlined in the Georgian constitution, emphasizing the importance of maintaining constructive cooperation.

He recounted the sequence of events, mentioning preliminary contacts with the Prime Minister, invitations to the US, and meetings with EU representatives. He noted the desire to meet with Ivanishvili was expressed, but the response claiming Ivanishvili was under sanctions was perplexing given the absence of any such sanctions.

O'Brien stressed the significance of dialogue and adherence to constitutional duties, highlighting the need to preserve the existing cooperation.

The comments come amid mass protests in Tbilisi against the foreign transparency bill, which was passed with its third and final reading by the parliament on Tuesday.

The bill, initially proposed by the ruling party last year and retracted after mass protests, was resubmitted by the ruling power in March. Although the substance of the bill remained largely intact, amendments were made to the title, replacing the term "agent" with "Organization Pursuing the Interests of a Foreign Power" for entities deriving more than 20 percent of their income from abroad.

Critics both domestically and internationally have labeled the bill as a "Russian law," with foreign allies cautioning that it could hinder Georgia's European integration efforts, particularly after the country attained candidacy status within the European bloc last year.