US says foreign agents bill “can potentially undermine” Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations

US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price on Monday said the bill on foreign influence proposed by former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party could “potentially undermine” the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. 

In his remarks on the bill by the People’s Power, which envisages registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets as agents of foreign influence if they obtain more than 20 percent of their incomes from abroad, the official said if adopted such a law would“stigmatize and silence the independent voices of the citizens of Georgia who are committed to building a better future”. 

“We are deeply concerned about its possible consequences for freedom of speech and democracy in Georgia. We have repeatedly expressed our concerns with the Georgian government. The initiated bill will stigmatize and silence the independent voices of Georgian citizens who are committed to creating a better future for their society”, he said. 

Price also rejected the claims by the authors of the bill over the use of an US legislation while drafting it, pointing to the similarities to Russian and Hungarian laws.