United States to Pause Assistance to Georgian government

The United States announced on Wednesday to pause assistance worth USD 95 million to Georgian government due to adopting new "Foreign agents" law. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, "Following the anti-democratic measures taken by the Georgian government on May 23, I announced a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia. As a result of this review, the United States has suspended more than USD 95 million in aid that directly benefits the government of Georgia." ". Blinken noted that "the Georgian government's anti-democratic measures and false statements do not comply with the criteria for membership in the European Union and NATO." He explained, "While we suspend our aid to the government of Georgia due to these measures, the United States will continue to provide assistance to programs and activities that benefit the people of Georgia by strengthening democracy, the rule of law, independent media, and economic development." It is noteworthy that the United States condemned, in late May, the Georgian Parliament's adoption of a law stipulating the inclusion of organizations that obtain more than 20 percent of their income from abroad in a special registry under the name "foreign agents," as it "distances the country from the path of European integration and ignores the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the people." The Georgian who took to the streets for weeks to oppose this law," according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. The "Foreign Agents" law was passed on May 28 after the Georgian Parliament voted against the presidential veto used by Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili in an attempt to nullify it. Failure to report registration and concealment of sources of income will result in a fine of Lari 25,000 (about USD 10,000). The law excludes organizations established by administrative bodies and sports federations. Source: Kuwait News Agency