Western allies denounce Georgia ‘foreign influence’ law

TBILISI: Georgia faced a blizzard of international condemnation on Wednesday as the EU, Nato and UN slammed the adoption of a controversial “foreign influence” law targeting overseas-funded NGOs.

Ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers voted through the legislation on Tuesday in defiance of protesters worried the Caucasus country is shifting away from its pro-Western course towards Russia.

The move has sparked a wave of weeks-long mass protests unprecedented in the recent history of the ex-Soviet republic, where according to opinion polls most of the population wants to join the European Union and Nato, and is staunchly anti-Kremlin.

Fresh protests are planned on Wednesday evening.

“The adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia´s progress on the EU path,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a joint statement with the European Commission. “We urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law.”

The EU statement reiterated condemnation for “intimidation, threats and physical assaults on civil society representatives, political leaders and journalists” during demonstrations against the law.

A spokeswoman for the Nato military alliance said the law was a “step in the wrong direction... away from European and Euro-Atlantic integration”.