“It sounds somewhat embarrassing when a visit for partnership discussions is planned with reservations,” said Mikheil Sarjveladze, Georgian Health Minister.

According to the Minister, the Prime Minister explained the stance of a sovereign state. Speaking about the bill On Transparency of Foreign Influence, Mikheil Sarjveladze said it was an incorrect viewpoint and assessment that the Georgian government did not listen to its people and voters.

“If we speak about context, arguments, formulations and provisions, we will discover that nothing emergent happens in Georgia. The initiated bill is correct. If anyone has anything different to say, let him/her state it to arrive at the correct decision. Avoiding to do so or labelling some things is just the opposite of a detailed, rational and open discussion,” he said.

On May 2, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, said: “Recently, we have invited senior members of the Georgian Government to engage directly with the most senior leaders in the United States to discuss our strategic partnership and any concerns with U.S. assistance. Unfortunately, the Georgian side chose not to accept this invitation.”

Georgian Foreign Ministry said that the PM’s invitation to the US with the agreement to temporarily suspend Transparency Bill discussion “does not reflect the Georgia-US partnership spirit.”