Georgia’s Transparency Law Protects National Sovereignty, Not Russian Interests, Prime Minister Says

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has defended the country’s controversial foreign influence transparency legislation, rejecting claims that it resembles Russian legislation and arguing that the law is intended to safeguard Georgia’s sovereignty and national interests.

Speaking to journalists in Brussels following his participation in the EU Enlargement Summit organised by Euronews, Kobakhidze said the Georgian public had become familiar with the legislation and understood its purpose despite criticism from opponents and European officials.

“The public knows what is written in the transparency law. The Georgian people have seen that there is nothing Russian about this legislation. On the contrary, it is a law that firmly protects our sovereignty and Georgia’s national interests,” Kobakhidze said.

The Prime Minister also criticised the level of understanding of the legislation among European officials and journalists, claiming that a Euronews interviewer had not been sufficiently informed about its provisions.

“Unfortunately, the journalist was not adequately informed, and we often see the same approach from the European bureaucracy,” Kobakhidze said.

He suggested that criticism of the law could stem either from insufficient knowledge of its contents or from deliberate misrepresentation.

“This may be because they lack adequate knowledge and information, or they may be doing it deliberately,” he said.

Kobakhidze acknowledged that the campaign against the legislation had initially influenced sections of Georgian society but maintained that public attitudes had changed as people became more familiar with its provisions.

“At a certain stage, this shameful campaign achieved its objective and influenced a certain part of society. However, the Georgian people eventually understood everything and realised that there is nothing Russian about this law,” he said.