Foreign Ministers of 12 EU Member States Address Borrell on Georgia's 'Foreign Agents' Law
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Foreign ministers from 12 countries have penned a letter to EU High Representative Joseph Borrell regarding "foreign influence" law. The letter expresses deep concern over the Georgian Parliament's persistence in adopting this legislation despite widespread opposition from civil society and international partners, including Borrell's own statement in April.
The letter highlighted the proposed law as a troubling indicator of democratic and human rights regression in Georgia, citing violence against peaceful demonstrators and journalists as well as a departure from Western democratic standards. It underscored the urgent need for decisive action to safeguard Georgia's European aspirations.
The ministers urged Borrell to provide a prompt oral update on the legislation's impact on implementing the 9 steps outlined in his previous remarks after the Foreign Affairs Council on April 22. They stressed the importance of this assessment being made public before the final parliamentary vote in Georgia.
"As the Georgian Parliament advances with the adoption of the so-called "foreign influence" legislation despite multiple signals of concern from its own civil society as well as from Georgia's partners, including your own statement of the 17th April, we should look for further ways to send an unequivocal message to Tbilisi that this legislation is incompatible with Georgia's progress on its EU path.
This proposed law is yet another sign of a concerning trajectory of democratic and human rights backsliding in Georgia. The use of violence against peaceful protesters and journalists covering the protests, suppressing fundamental rights and freedoms, are not compatible with democracy and the values Europe stands for. The government's pivot away from the democratic West and its standards was reinforced by the recent speech by the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party.
Sending a direct and clear message now is of great importance to secure Georgia's European future tomorrow. Therefore, concrete consequences ought to be indicated, should Georgia's governing party proceed with the adoption of the law which is not in line with EU core norms and values. Our principled position and determined actions are what the Georgian people who are striving for a European future for their country expect from us.
In this context, we are asking you to promptly provide an oral update by the European Commission on how the proposed legislation would impact the implementation of the 9 steps as suggested also in your press remarks after the Foreign Affairs Council on 22 April. We kindly ask you to undertake this as a matter of priority and to make sure that this public assessment appears before the final vote at the Georgian parliament," the letter reads.
Joint letter is signed by the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
