Parliament passes so-called "FARA" bill in final reading

Anri Okhanashvili nominated to lead Georgia's State Security Service

During a briefing at the Government Administration, the Prime Minister announced that Okhanashvili’s candidacy would be presented to the parliament for consideration.Anri Okhanashvili brings extensive experience to the role, having served as the Minister of Justice for several years and previously as Chair of the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee. He holds a PhD in law from Humboldt University of Berlin, marking him as a leading expert in his field.According to Kobakhidze, the Regional Development Ministry is set to be established as an independent institution, separate from the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, with Grigol Liluashvili designated as its head. Currently serving as the Head of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG), Liluashvili will transition into this new role.“Paata Salia will assume the position of Justice Minister,” Irakli Kobakhidze said.“Paata Salia is currently an acting member of parliament and is recognized as one of the most accomplished lawyers in Georgia. With a robust educational background in law from both Georgia and the United States, I wish him great success as he takes on this new role,” the Prime Minister stated.

Parliament passes so-called "FARA" bill in final reading

During the voting session, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili stated, "A law identical to the American standard has been adopted."The final version of the law is titled the "Foreign Agents Registration Act." Alongside it, amendments to the Criminal Code have also been approved.The law regulates the registration of entities as foreign principals’ agents, with its enforcement assigned to the Anti-Corruption Bureau.Under the Georgian Dream-proposed legislation, the terms foreign principal’s agent and foreign power are defined. The bill regulates the following issues: The process for applying for registration as a foreign principal’s agent and ensuring the transparency of related documents. The obligation for registered foreign principal’s agents to submit an annual financial declaration. The procedures for deregistering an entity as a foreign principal’s agent. The monitoring process to identify foreign principal’s agents and verify compliance with the law’s requirements.Failure to register as a foreign principal’s agent or non-compliance with the law’s provisions will result in criminal liability.

An analogue of Elon Musk's structure will also be created in the Georg...

According to him, a Government Efficiency Department will be created, which will ensure control over the implementation of decisions at all levels of executive government.As Levan Zhorzholiani noted, communication has also been established with the State Audit Office, where real-time audit will be implemented."A department will be created in the government administration, the internal audit service will become the Government Efficiency Department. We have also spoken with the State Audit Office, where real-time audit will be implemented. While previously audits were conducted for past years, now it will be possible for the State Audit Office to make assessments regarding ongoing projects. I think this will greatly benefit the efficient spending of budget funds, as well as facilitate taking more effective steps in any field, be it energy direction, property management, or any other. One of the main principles of our governance is transparency and accountability, and the creation of this new mechanism serves to strengthen these two fundamental principles," - stated Levan Zhorzholiani.

CoE Congress adopts resolution on Georgia

The resolution, supported by 101 members with 10 against, expresses deep concern over democratic backsliding and weakening human rights in the country. It highlights growing societal polarization and the adoption of legislation that contradicts Council of Europe standards.“Over the past two years has had an increasingly negative impact on local democracy in Georgia. This has intensified in the aftermath of the 2024 parliamentary elections, which were rejected by all opposition parties, as well as domestic and some international election observers, notably due to concerns over their integrity, and following the decision to halt Georgian EU accession on 28 November 2024,” the resolution reads.It also notes that “following the highly controversial adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) adopted in first reading, NGOs and dissenting voices in the media, which work under increasingly challenging conditions, have been increasingly subjected to intimidation and stigmatisation. This undermines their freedom of association and freedom of expression. In a democratic society, freedom of expression must be protected, supported and promoted irrespective of whether it is critical of the government, and even if it is influenced by international discourse.The brutal repression of peaceful protesters and opponents by law-enforcement authorities in many cities, and particularly in the capital city of Tbilisi, has violated both the freedoms of expression and assembly. Moreover, freedom of assembly in Georgia has been negatively affected by recent amendments to legislation that increase sanctions and offences related to public demonstrations, which according to the Venice Commission introduced “vague and broadly framed provisions, granting the authorities [including local authorities] excessively broad discretion in their application”. This situation has forced local authorities to take decisions that do not comply with democratic standards.The instrumentalisation of public institutions, including at local level, has resulted in numerous reports of dismissals, intimidation and pressure on civil servants. This has been facilitated by the adoption of amendments to the Law on Public Service.”It also addresses concerns expressed in recent reports by international and local observers “regarding the politicisation of public administration, widespread misuse of administrative resources and pressure on voters during electoral campaigns, which unduly tilt the playing field between candidates and distort the will of voters.”“The legal framework applicable to local elections in Georgia has been amended more than 20 times since the last elections, without extensive consultations and broad consensus. This is not in line with the principle of stability of electoral law. The amendments have moreover reinforced the dominant position of the ruling party in the Central Election Commission, undermining its independence, and have also wound back fundamental rules pertaining to the electoral system, gender quotas and the establishment of electoral districts.It notes with concern that these serious shortcomings and challenges affecting the respect of democracy, rule of law and human rights have led to a collapse in public confidence in democratic institutions for large parts of the Georgian population, and notably the young people, and damaged local democracy, which is not conducive to holding the 2025 local elections in a trust-based environment; in fact, it risks exacerbating the situation,” the document reads.

Georgian Foreign Relations Committee delegation pays official visit to...

According to the Georgian Parliament, during the visit, Nikoloz Samkharadze and the delegation met with several Serbian officials, including the Vice-Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marina Ragush, and members of her committee, as well as Vice-Speaker Elvira Kovac, who chairs the European Integration Committee.The meetings focused on the friendly relations between Georgia and Serbia and explored various areas of cooperation. Both sides emphasized the importance of advancing diplomatic relations, particularly, to establish full-fledged embassies in both countries soon.Discussions also covered issues related to EU accession, the necessary reforms to achieve this goal, and the exchange of experiences. The parties welcomed the entry of the Serbian airline into the Georgian aviation market, which is set to commence regular flights on the Belgrade-Tbilisi route starting June 15.“Georgia and Serbia share numerous commonalities. First and foremost, we are both candidate countries for EU membership, and our foreign policy objective is to join the EU. It is important to highlight that both countries face challenges regarding territorial integrity and similar domestic political issues. We enjoy strong political relations and unconditionally support each other’s territorial integrity, which should foster closer ties. We hope that in the coming months, a Serbian embassy will be established in Tbilisi, while Georgia’s diplomatic mission in Serbia will transition into a full-fledged embassy. There is significant potential for growth in trade and tourism,” stated Nikoloz Samkharadze.The Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee also extended an invitation to his Serbian counterparts for an official return visit to Tbilisi.During the visit, members of the Foreign Relations Committee engaged with representatives of Serbian delegations to the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe, discussing cooperation between the two countries within the framework of these Parliamentary Assemblies. Meetings were also held with the Serbian Institute of International Politics and Economics analysts.The delegation includes Mariam Lashkhi, the First Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Irakli Mezurnishvili, a committee member.