US suspends $95 million in aid to Georgia after passage of foreign agent law that sparked protests

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday suspended $95 million in U.S. 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.

The U.S. has also already imposed visa bans on a number of Georgian politicians and law enforcement officials for suppressing free speech, particularly voices in favor 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 U.S. would continue to fund programs in Georgia that promote democracy, the rule of law, independent media and economic development.

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“We will remain committed to the Georgian people and their Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” he said, noting that the U.S. has provided more than $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 organizations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% 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.