Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary-General of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party and former footballer, on Wednesday addressed social media posts by the country's national team footballers expressing support for Georgia's European integration amidst ongoing debate over a controversial foreign transparency bill, branded as a "Russian law" both domestically and by foreign allies.

Taking to Facebook, Kaladze asserted, "the future of Georgia undeniably lies within Europe! Is there any room for doubt? Our progress in European integration, including visa-free travel and the signing of the association agreement, is thanks to the efforts of the 'Georgian Dream' government. With candidate status attained, rest assured, we will continue on the path towards European Union membership under our leadership."

He continued, affirming the alignment of the footballers' messages with the nation's aspirations: "Our footballers' sentiments echo our collective vision – Georgia's destiny is European. We embrace European values and envision a future where Europe shapes the lives of our children and generations to come, a vision our ancestors fought for."

Meanwhile, the debate over the controversial bill, previously rejected amidst mass protests, reignited. The bill, submitted by the ruling party, aims to mandate the registration of non-commercial entities and media outlets acting on behalf of foreign powers, particularly those deriving over 20 percent of their income from abroad.

Under the proposed legislation, entities deemed to represent foreign interests would be required to register in the public registry, disclosing their income upon registration and filing annual financial declarations thereafter.