Nato calls Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ bill ‘step in wrong direction’ after mass protests in Tbilisi – Europe live | Georgia

Daniel Boffey

Georgia has been warned by the US not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow, as its parliament defied mass street protests to pass a “Kremlin-inspired” law.

Washington’s assistant secretary of state, Jim O’Brien, spoke of his fears that the passing by Georgia’s parliament of a “foreign agents” bill on Tuesday could be yet another “turning point” in the former Soviet state’s troubled history.

In comments that appeared to signal a conviction in the US that the Georgian government was once again aligning with Russia, O’Brien suggested funding could soon be pulled.

Billions of dollars had been spent by the US on rebuilding Georgia after the fall of the Soviet Union and hundreds of millions more were planned for the country’s economy and military, he said.

“All that has to be under review if we are now regarded as an adversary and not a partner,” O’Brien told reporters at a press conference in Tbilisi.

Read the full story here.

Nato’s spokesperson said today that “the Georgian government’s decision to pass legislation on so-called “foreign agents” is a step in the wrong direction and takes Georgia further away from European and Euro-Atlantic integration.”

“We urge Georgia to change course and to respect the right to peaceful protest,” she added.

“We came to Georgia as your closest friends, friends who care about Georgia and its people, who care about Georgia’s European future,” Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said in Tbilisi.

Speaking alongside ministers from Estonia, Latvia and Iceland, as well as Georgia’s president, Landsbergis spoke of “completely unacceptable use of force against the protesters” as well as “orchestrated intimidation campaign against non-governmental organisations and activists” and “remarkable resilience” shown by Georgians.

He added:

The first objective of us coming here thus is to express our support and solidarity with everyone who fights for Georgia’s democratic and European choice, for Georgia’s European future. This future belongs to Georgian people, and it should not be captured by anyone.

Our second objective is to pass a very clear message to the representatives of the ruling party, both in the parliament and in the government, of the risks and severe consequences Georgia will be facing if they continue on this very dangerous course.

Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, a critic of the government, spoke today alongside visiting foreign ministers from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Iceland, who travelled to Tbilisi to show support for Georgians calling for a pro-European, democratic future for their country.

“This society indeed stands on the values which are European values: democracy, freedom,” Zourabichvili said, stressing that Georgia has always fought for independence and “will never go back to the Russian hands.”

“On the agenda today is the following issue: how to save Georgia,” she added.

Amid ongoing protests and a government crackdown, a group of senior European politicians are visiting Georgia to express their support for demonstrators.

Michael Roth, chair of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, was among those attending a protest in Tbilisi last night. He described it as “one of the most moving moments of my political life.”

Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.

Send tips and comments to [email protected].