Foreign-funded NGOs promoted hatred in Georgia, PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused foreign actors and internationally funded non-governmental organisations of attempting to spread hatred and undermine institutions in Georgia.

Speaking at a briefing at the Government Administration on Tuesday, Kobakhidze said foreign interference in Georgia’s political processes had included efforts to fuel hostility within society and against state institutions.

“You saw what one of the clear objectives of foreign interference was, including the financing of NGOs - it was to incite hatred within our country and within society, including hatred towards institutions,” he said.

Kobakhidze added that the issue concerned not only state institutions but also the Georgian Orthodox Church and other public bodies.

The PM also claimed foreign funding had been used “directly and deliberately” to establish hate speech and social confrontation in Georgia through NGOs.

He said the government would respond with legal mechanisms and welcomed a recently announced initiative by Vice Prime Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze to create a special Interior Ministry unit tasked with monitoring hate speech and aggressive communication.

Kobakhidze said the government would pay close attention to the effectiveness of the new division, arguing that such measures were necessary “so that no one from outside can impose hatred on us”.

The prime minister also claimed that similar patterns of foreign interference and attempts to provoke division could be observed in other countries where “the same forces” sought influence over domestic political processes.