Parliament Committee Chair says foreign grants related to Georgia’s political processes must be transparent

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Sunday emphasised the importance of transparency in foreign-funded initiatives related to political processes in Georgia.

Samkharadze’s comments followed the United Kingdom Foreign Office’s recent initiative to fund civil society projects ahead of Georgia’s 2025 municipal elections.

“It is notable that everyone now seems to accept the fact that the next elections to be held in Georgia are local elections. This is a good thing because it forces people to face reality instead of getting caught up in pointless illusions”, the Parliament official said.

He further called for clarity and accountability from any foreign actor providing funding for political engagement in Georgia.

“When any foreign actor allocates a grant for any kind of engagement in Georgia’s political processes, they must clearly explain to the public what the grant is for, who will benefit from it, and what positive and beneficial impact it will have on the people of Georgia”, Samkharadze concluded.