Georgian PM denounces NGOs for attacking Orthodox Church
Irakli Kobakhidze
Photo: Government Administration
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday claimed that domestic NGOs were trying to attack the Georgian Orthodox Church and damage its reputation.
“I am still convinced that if there had been a law on the transparency of foreign influence during these years, NGOs would have had more responsibility towards their [international] donors and would not have put donor organisations in such an embarrassing situation”, Kobakhidze said.
The Government head noted that “when the Georgian public sees that an NGO funded by a particular donor has been attacking the Orthodox Church for years, what should the public think about donors”.
“Unfortunately, there was no law on transparency here, so specific NGOs brazenly attacked the Orthodox Church”, he concluded.
The Georgian Parliament on Wednesday adopted the bill on transparency of foreign influence in its first reading with 83 votes in favour and none against.
The only change in the resubmitted bill would concern replacing the term “agent of foreign influence” with “organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power”.
The bill on the transparency of foreign influence aims to ensure that NGOs disclose their annual financial reports, with penalties limited to financial sanctions for non-compliance.
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