German Ambassador meets with Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, warns against EU integration illusions

The German Ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, met with officials at Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau to discuss the country’s controversial Foreign Agents legislation and its potential impact on EU integration.

In a social media post, Fischer stated that he raised concerns about the treatment of 13 German organizations operating in Georgia, which are funded by the German federal budget and play a key role in implementing bilateral cooperation. He said he was assured that he would receive information on how these organizations would be treated under the Georgian version of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), adding that Germany wants them to be exempt.

Fischer also shared his concerns about Georgia’s European future, referencing the negative opinion of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe on Georgia’s Foreign Agents law. He warned that, amid the adoption of legislation similar to Russia’s, Georgia’s accession to the EU remains an “illusion.”

He noted that the EU Council concluded in June 2024—with regret—that Georgia is “way off course” in its EU integration efforts.