Georgian PM says transparency law prevented external destabilisation efforts

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Saturday said that US officials, both current and former, have confirmed what his Government has long claimed - revolutionary processes in Georgia were funded from abroad, and the domestic transparency law was designed to prevent such interference.

“Do you remember the huge fuss that was made around the transparency law, when we were told it was impossible for hostile activities to be supported from the West? What we were talking about then, US officials are now openly discussing”, Kobakhidze said.

He added that the law clearly targeted external financing of revolutionary activities in Georgia.

“For several years, we have been discussing this topic, ever since we initiated the draft law on foreign influence transparency. The law was based precisely on this practice. We could see, clearly and brazenly, how revolutionary processes in Georgia were being funded from abroad, and the law aimed to prevent exactly this. Today, high-ranking officials from both the current and previous US administrations have confirmed this, speaking directly about how foreign funding and intelligence services were used, including in our country, to destabilise the situation. This is something for society to assess”, the PM concluded.