The United States announced that in response to the adoption of the law on “foreign agents” in Georgia, which it considers an instrument of suppression of opposition and democratic freedoms, it is introducing a policy of visa restrictions in relation to this country.
Blinken emphasized that the Georgian government has launched a “campaign of intimidation” and used violence “to suppress peaceful dissent.” The Secretary of State believes that these actions contradict the goal of Euro-Atlantic integration enshrined in the Georgian constitution.
The statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken does not say about the immediate imposition of visa sanctions against anyone in the Georgian leadership - the head of the State Department only announces that such sanctions may be imposed from now on.
Blinken announced that Washington was launching a comprehensive review of relations between the United States and Georgia.
“As we review the relationship between our two countries, we will take Georgia's actions into account when making our own decisions,” Blinken said in a statement.
Recall, the Georgian Parliament on May 14 adopted in the third reading of the law “On transparency of foreign influence”, which its critics call a tracing of the Russian law on “foreign agents”. On May 18, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed the law. On May 28, parliament will convene to override the veto. The consideration of the bill was accompanied by mass protests.
