September 9 () –
The Georgian government announced on Monday the creation of a state funding programme for NGOs following the entry into force of the controversial law on foreign agents, which sparked strong protests in the country because it is considered to be moving the country away from the European path and closer to Russia.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobajidze said at a press conference that the fund in question “will operate normally through the registration of organisations” and will be launched in the coming months. The funding will be delivered from January 2025, he explained.
The programme aims to provide funding to NGOs responsible for “identifying cases of corruption and strengthening democratic institutions”, among other issues of national relevance. “Those that do a good job and serve the interests of the people will be funded and will receive twice as much funding as they currently receive from abroad,” he said.
In this regard, he pointed out that in accordance with this law, more than 450 NGOs that previously received money from abroad have now requested to register on the Justice Ministry’s website, although he admitted that some continue to refuse to do so. “The registration process has been carried out despite blackmail and pressure from foreign donor organisations,” he warned.
The Foreign Agents Law requires organisations, media outlets and similar entities that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence”, as is the case in Russia.
The text is the same as the one presented in 2023, although with some modifications. However, last year the opposition and part of society already spoke out against this legislative proposal because it was a sign of sympathy towards Moscow. The Government, for its part, has rejected these accusations and has defended that the proposal serves to have a list of organizations financed from abroad.
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