US Embassy: Georgia’s isolation from west against interests of its people

The United States Embassy in Tbilisi posted a banner on Thursday stating, “Countries cannot develop in isolation. Isolation of Georgia from the West is against the interests of its people.” This message reportedly addresses the current policies of the ruling Georgian Dream party and its ongoing tensions with the West, particularly following the party’s controversial proposal and adoption of the foreign influence law earlier this year.

In response to the banner, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, hinted at an alleged political context behind the embassy’s message. He addressed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to “urge” the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau not to classify the embassy as an entity with a declared political goal.

Last month, the Bureau classified Transparency International Georgia and the Vote for Europe movement as entities with declared political goals, which restricted their observation status for the upcoming general elections on October 26 and required them to provide financial reports.

However, this week, the Bureau reversed its decision after an appeal from Kobakhidze, who urged the agency to review its classification to “prevent speculations and external manipulations” in the forthcoming vote.