Georgian Parliament official alleges USAID, NED involved in “regime change” efforts in country

Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday claimed that two major international US-based foundations, the USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), were directly involved in funding protests linked to regime change policies.

In his remarks, Kadagishvili noted that the US administration itself had acknowledged the involvement of these foundations in “regime change” processes.

“The use of hybrid warfare tools against Georgia is not just our interpretation. The US President and his administration are the ones who speak most explicitly about this. We have seen that two major US international foundations, USAID and NED, were directly involved in funding protest rallies related to regime change policies”, the Parliament official said.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, in a recent interview, recalled his communication with a senior official from one of the foundations, which had been shut down by President Donald Trump.

According to the Prime Minister, there had been demands for Georgia to act in accordance with specific directives, particularly regarding the country’s involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.