Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the parliamentary majority and rapporteur on the draft law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, highlighted the need for measures to address opaque issues despite previous assurances from donor organizations.

He stated that the state is forced to take appropriate measures to eliminate the circulation of slush funds.

“We had numerous communications with donor organizations, during which we made it clear that we would not revise this law. Everyone, including representatives of the opposition, the NGO sector, and especially donors, asserted that everything was already transparent. Despite these assurances, many aspects remained opaque, and various funding, projects, and grants became even more obscure. Consequently, we find ourselves compelled by the state to take appropriate measures to address the circulation of illicit funds.

This aligns with efforts undertaken in countries like the USA, as well as ongoing initiatives within the European Union, where draft laws have been submitted to the European Parliament in the form of directives. Notably, France has already accepted such measures in its first reading, and similar initiatives are active in Australia, Israel, Canada, and other countries,” Mdinaradze stated.

Mdinaradze clarified misconceptions about the bill, emphasizing that it applies universally to organizations receiving funding from any foreign source, including Russia.

“There is a lot of speculation regarding the fact that this law does not apply to Russia. The law applies universally to organizations receiving funding from any foreign source, including Russia. I want to emphasize that we are good at identifying enemies and lovers. It is important to recognize the progress made in relations with Europe during the tenure of the Georgian Dream party,” Mdinaradze emphasized.

The bill is currently under consideration by the Legal Affairs Committee in its first reading.