Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze addressed the media during a briefing, responding to claims made by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. He refuted her statement, calling it “a pure lie,” and clarified that the Georgian government never demanded the termination of funding for NGOs critical of the government.

“Jeanne Shaheen made a false claim, stating that we demanded an end to funding for NGOs critical of the government, which is completely untrue. What was actually discussed is that while we are being asked to depolarize, it is unacceptable for radicalism and polarization in Georgia to be financed with American money. In this context, it was not Senator Shaheen, but a congressman who asked whether we were referring to stopping the funding of criticism. I made it clear that the concern was not about funding criticism, but about financing polarization and radicalism. Funding such destabilizing forces in Georgia from outside the country is unacceptable. I clarified this. For a senator to misrepresent this as a call to stop criticism, and thereby mislead the American Senate, is deeply disturbing and personally disappointing,” the PM stated.