Georgia Should Change Its Line to Move towards EU Integration: EU
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Tbilisi will be blocked from joining the European Union if the current government does not change certain policies, namely its foreign agent law, the EU mission in Tbilisi said.
The EU mission said this in a statement marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of the EU association agreement with Georgia.
"We strongly support the aspirations of the people of Georgia to enter into the European Union. The Georgian government must return to this path. Georgia belongs in the European Union, but Georgia will not be able to advance on the path to the EU if the current course is not changed," the statement on the representative office's Facebook page reads, TASS reported.
On June 24, EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell said that the EU’s doors will be closed to Georgia if its government pursues its current course. According to him, Brussels is ready to deprive Tbilisi of European funding and supplies through the European Peace Foundation if the law on foreign agents is not repealed.
On May 14, the Georgian Parliament passed the law On the Transparency of Foreign Influence in the third reading, thus drawing sharp criticism from the European Union coupled with threats to suspend the country’s EU integration. The Georgian president, Salome Zourabichvili, vetoed the law on May 18.
NGOs have repeatedly said they will not register as "organizations carrying out the interests of a foreign power" if the legislation is adopted as they do not believe this to be a fair assessment. The ruling party says this status is true as long as they receive financing from abroad and that the law is meant to make sure they are financially transparent.