Ruling party senior MP clarifies diplomatic funding rules

The Chairman of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, Archil Gorduladze, has clarified new legislative language regarding funding provided by foreign governments to their diplomatic missions in Georgia.

Gorduladze explained that if an embassy receives money from its home country to carry out standard diplomatic activities - such as hiring staff or promoting its nation’s image - this funding is not considered a grant and does not require approval from the Georgian government, in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The clarification, he said, was prompted by past “misinterpretations” suggesting the law restricted embassy operations or prevented diplomatic activity. “This provision ensures that false claims cannot be used to damage Georgia’s international image,” Gorduladze said.

He stressed that the law still treats funding intended to influence Georgian politics or public opinion as a grant, which requires government approval. “The clarification does not change existing practice under the Vienna Convention but adds legal certainty and transparency,” Gorduladze said.