World News | US Suspends USD 95 Million in Aid to Georgia After Passage of Foreign Agent Law That Sparked Protests
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The Biden administration on Wednesday suspended USD 95 million in US assistance to Georgia after its parliament adopted legislation related to foreign agents that critics say was inspired by a Russian law used to crack down on political dissent and that sparked weeks of mass protests.
Washington, Jul 31 (AP) The Biden administration on Wednesday suspended USD 95 million in US assistance to Georgia after its parliament adopted legislation related to foreign agents that critics say was inspired by a Russian law used to crack down on political dissent and that sparked weeks of mass protests.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he had decided to pause the Georgian aid, which would directly benefit the government, as the result of a review of assistance that he ordered in May after the law passed. He said he took the action in response to “anti-democratic” actions the government has taken.
Also Read | Chicken or the Egg? 'Drunk' Man Arrested in Indonesia for Stabbing Friend to Death.
The US has also already imposed visa bans on a number of Georgian politicians and law enforcement officials for suppressing free speech, particularly voices in favour of Georgia's integration with the West.
“The Georgian government's anti-democratic actions and false statements are incompatible with membership norms in the EU and NATO,” Blinken said in a statement released as he was flying from Singapore to Mongolia at the end of a six-nation tour of Asia.
Despite the suspension, Blinken said the US would continue to fund programmes in Georgia that promote democracy, the rule of law, independent media and economic development.
“We will remain committed to the Georgian people and their Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” he said, noting that the US has provided more than USD 6.2 billion in assistance to Georgia over the past three decades since it won independence from the Soviet Union.
The Georgian parliament passed the legislation in May, overriding a veto by the president. The law requires media and nongovernmental organisations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad.
Critics say that it closely resembles legislation the Kremlin used to silence opponents and that it will obstruct Georgia's bid to join the EU. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)