US imposes visa restrictions and will review cooperation with Georgia

NEWS WIRES

May 23, 2024 at 9:18 p.m.·1 min read

The United States was imposing new visa restrictions and reviewing relations with Georgia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, after it pushed forward a Russian-style 'foreign influence' law that triggered mass protests.

The new visa policy "will apply to individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia, as well as their family members," Blinken said in a statement.

He added that Washington was also launching "a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia."

The Georgian bill requires NGOs and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as bodies "pursuing the interests of a foreign power."

Georgian lawmakers passed the law last week despite major protests, with critics saying the move would silence opposition groups and shift the former Soviet republic away from a pro-Western course back toward Russia.

The ruling Georgian Dream party insists it is committed to joining the EU and was acting to increase transparency on NGO funding.

(AFP)

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