Georgian Parliament official says “shameful” if European bureaucrats demand repeal of transparency law after USAID scandal
Davit Matikashvili
Photo: Imedi TV
Davit Matikashvili, the Chair of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said if the only issue to be discussed at the technical meeting with the European Commission scheduled for June 11 was the suspension of visa liberalisation, then it was likely that one of the demands would be the repeal of the law of transparency, which would be shameful.
In his interview with Imedi TV, Matikashvili noted that if visa liberalisation was introduced solely by the European Commission, then perhaps the ways and mechanisms for correction should also be shown by them.
“In general, in a global context, what is being demanded from us in terms of Euroliberalization is an obvious matter. At the contractual level, as a result of the struggle of the Georgian people, the Georgian Dream [party] has gained this benefit for our public. In the criteria that existed until now, such adjustments have been made that are clearly visible that it should be a tool for pedaling freedom-loving nations who do not want to implement the narrative that will primarily be intended for the destruction of these peoples and nations”, Matikashvili said.
“What do the Eurocrats demand from us?! They want to repeal the law of transparency. Isn't it shameful after the USAID scandal? The whole world saw that treacherous face, how black money was entering various countries through non-governmental organisations and was used for political issues there. The conversation on this issue must be put to an end once and for all. The public knows very well that it was precisely from European funds that those campaigns in Georgia were financed, which romanticised the Molotov cocktails, and numerous terrible anti-state and illegal actions were taking place before our eyes. The use of this issue as a blackmail mechanism, that if you want to maintain visa liberalisation, repeal the law of transparency, is shameful”, he concluded.
All News
08 June 2026, 21:58
Foreign policy
Georgian FM: Georgia and Armenia have the best relations nowadays
Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Monday congratulated her Armenian colleagues on the Civil Contract party’s victory, expressing the Georgian Government’s willingness to have intensive contact and cooperation with them once the election process completed and the Government formed.
08 June 2026, 21:18
Politics
Georgian FM says European Commission meeting on visa-free travel will be constructive
Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Monday said a meeting with the European Commission scheduled for June 11 on visa-free travel would be constructive.
08 June 2026, 19:18
Politics
Georgian Parliament Speaker congratulates Armenian counterpart on Civil Contract party’s victory in parliamentary elections
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday extended heartfelt congratulations to his Armenian counterpart Alen Simonyan on the Civil Contract party’s victory in Armenia’s parliamentary elections.
08 June 2026, 17:22
Politics
Georgian Foreign Minister: Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan prime example of successful regional cooperation
Georgia, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan have for years served as one of the best examples of successful regional cooperation based on equality, mutual respect, and shared interests, said on Monday Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili.
08 June 2026, 16:17
Foreign policy
Georgian, Turkish FM’s discuss strategic partnership
Strategic partnership between Georgia and Turkey and prospects for its further development were discussed on Monday between Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan within the framework of the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey trilateral format in Istanbul.
08 June 2026, 15:47
Politics
Georgian Parliament official: politically motivated resolutions have no real value
Davit Matikashvili, the Chair of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said resolutions being discussed in the European Parliament and the Council of Europe carry no substantive value if their sole purpose is political retaliation.
08 June 2026, 15:30
Politics
Georgian Government ranks 26th globally and top 20 in Europe for law and policy strength
The internationally recognized evaluation center, the Chandler Institute, has published the Good Government Report 2026, which includes the Global Legal and Political Strength Index.
08 June 2026, 15:02
Politics
Georgian Parliament Speaker: key strength of Georgia’s economy lies in its diversification and independence
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the key strength of Georgia’s economy was its diversification, arguing that the country is not dependent on any single economic partner.
08 June 2026, 15:02
Politics
Rule of law principle must be applied equally in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Berlin and Washington, says Georgian Parliament Speaker
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that dozens of opposition politicians had been detained in Armenia ahead of elections without any reaction from the European Union, arguing that the principle of the rule of law should be applied consistently across all countries.
08 June 2026, 13:44
Foreign policy
Georgian Parliament Speaker welcomes regional peace efforts, wishes Armenian PM success
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvil on Monday wished Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his party success, saying Georgia attaches great importance to the positive dynamics emerging in the South Caucasus.
08 June 2026, 13:38
Politics
Georgian Parliament Speaker: EU demands for anti-Russian sanctions are “steps against peace in Georgia”
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that Georgia and Armenia faced different challenges and “should not be viewed through the same lens”, while arguing that pressure from Brussels on issues such as sanctions policy, visa policy, and domestic legislation concerns Georgia’s sovereignty.
08 June 2026, 12:53
Politics
Georgian Parliament Speaker says domestic opposition seeks foreign support instead of voters’ backing
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the domestic radical opposition was not fighting to win the support of Georgian voters but was instead seeking the sympathy and financial backing of foreign actors.
08 June 2026, 12:49
Politics
Georgian Parliament Speaker: Georgia meets all visa liberalisation requirements, but political conditions have been invented
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that visa liberalisation had always been based on specific criteria that Georgia had fulfilled and continued to fulfil, adding that new political conditions have recently been introduced, including “demands for Georgia to allow undisclosed EU funding”.
08 June 2026, 12:09
Politics
Georgian Parliament Speaker says Brussels must end “hostile policy” toward Georgia
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday criticised a new resolution that the Council of Europe plans to discuss, saying it is aimed solely at creating “informational noise” and further accusing certain European politicians of pursuing policies that harm Georgia.
08 June 2026, 10:45
Foreign policy
Georgian PM congratulates Nikol Pashinyan on election victory
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday congratulated his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan on his party’s success in the elections.
07 June 2026, 14:43
Politics
Georgian Parliament official: EU needs Georgia just as much as Georgia needs EU
Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, on Saturday stated that the relationship between Georgia and the European Union is a two-way street, emphasising that the EU needs Georgia just as much as Georgia needs the EU.
07 June 2026, 14:30
Politics
Georgian Parliament official says visa-free travel weaponised as “political blackmail” by EU bureaucracy
Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, on Saturday stated that visa-free travel with the European Union was being used as a tool of pressure against Georgia by an “unelected bureaucracy” currently influencing the EU.
07 June 2026, 14:22
Politics
Georgia maintained peace despite external pressures, says Georgian Parliament Committee Chair
Georgia has been the target of targeted pressures since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, with clear interests pushing the country to take a side - a demand Tbilisi firmly rejected, said on Saturday Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration.
07 June 2026, 12:20
Politics
Georgian Parliament official slams EU criticism as biased attempt to force political shift
Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, has strongly criticised the European Union’s recent evaluations of Georgia’s state institutions, accusing European partners of employing a “double standard” policy that is damaging the EU’s own reputation in the country.