EU Ambassador Concerned About Impact of 'Russian Law' on Georgia's EU Membership Bid
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, April 12, 2024
The Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, H.E. Pawel Herczynski, expressed strong disapproval of the 'Russian law', stating that it is inconsistent with European norms and values.
Herczynski emphasized, "This law does not align with European or American standards."
When asked whether the adoption of the law could hinder Georgia's path to EU membership, Herczynski indicated that due to its incompatibility with European values, the European Commission would find it challenging to provide a positive assessment.
The EU Ambassador expressed hope that alternative means could be explored to ensure transparency without marginalizing or stigmatizing civil society organizations.
Furthermore, Herczynski stressed the essential nature of freedom of speech and media freedom for all democracies, including Georgia, which is a candidate country for European Union membership.
"This law is incompatible with European values and norms. Especially in the current context, it will be very difficult for the European Commission to make a positive assessment if this law is adopted. This law is not good; it is neither European nor American. I believe that another way will be found to ensure transparency, which is absolutely legitimate. We have nothing against transparency; we are all in favor of it.
However, this should not be achieved at the expense of limiting the very good, very important, and necessary work that civil society organizations are doing for the benefit of the people of Georgia. This should be done without resorting to stigmatization and marginalization of civil society organizations. They play a very important role in any democracy, including Georgia," said Herczynski.
