May 03, 2024
In the April 18 I had mentioned a recent color revolution attempt in Georgia:
U.S./EU Lobby Against Georgian Law That Would Reveal Their Secret Influence
Those organization who currently receive money from the various U.S. or EU government or non-government organizations are of course not amused that they will have to reveal their association with such sources. They want to lobby for foreign positions without being identified as foreign influencers.They have therefore launched protests against their country's government and parliament which has passed the law in the first reading. Two further readings will be required to finalize the law.
The protesters against the law claim that it is a "Russian law" against "foreign agents".
...
However neither is the law "Russian style" - it is a copy of FARA - nor does the law include the loaded word "agent". It does not accuse anyone of being such but seeks public transparency over foreign financial influences which would of course also include Russian ones.
Despite violent protests by the usual suspects the relevant bill has passed its second reading in the Georgian parliament. A third and final reading is expected in the mid of May.
The 'NGO' complex of U.S./EU regime change organizations in Georgia is enormous:
Lord Bebo @MyLordBebo - 8:20 UTC · May 3, 2024🇬🇪 “Georgia has one of the highest amount of NGOs per capita!
- 20,000 NGOs are active in Georgia!
- 1 NGO per 148 citizens!
- 90% get their funding from foreign countries!”
-> He is not pro Russia, he is pro Georgia and the protesters are pro money!
-> BBC interview with Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chair, Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia (vid)
The current government of Georgia has a solid majority and obviously knows what is happening in its country.
It has rejected a recent - conditional - invitation to the U.S.:
The Government of Georgia has declined an invitation from the US to discuss strategic partnership and assistance, reports Ekho Kavkazu.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia confirmed receiving the invitation from the Prime Minister. However, before the visit, parliament was supposed to temporarily suspend consideration of the bill On Transparency of Foreign Influence.
Well, the parliament did not do so.
Now witness this very public slap-in-the face which Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is handing out to Derek H. Chollet, the Counselor of the U.S. State Department:
Irakli Kobakhidze @PM_Kobakhidze - 8:13 UTC · May 3, 2024Spoke to @CounselorDOS and expressed my sincere disappointment with the two revolution attempts of 2020-2023 supported by the former US Ambassador and those carried out through NGOs financed from external sources. Had these attempts been successful, the second front line would have been opened in Georgia.
Besides, I explained to Mr. Chollet that false statements made by the officials of the US State Department about the transparency bill and street rallies remind us of similar false statements made by the former US Ambassador in 2020-2023, which served to the facilitation of violence from foreign funded actors and to the support of revolutionary processes back then.
Also, I clarified to Mr. Chollet that it requires a special effort to restart the relations against this background, which is impossible without a fair and honest approach.
I have not expressed my concerns with Mr. Chollet about a brutal crackdown of the students' protest rally in New York City.
It is rare to see a small power like Georgia publicly exposing U.S. mischief like this.
Posted by b on May 3, 2024 at 10:05 UTC | Permalink