The White House said on Tuesday that if a foreign agents bill passed by Georgia’s parliament becomes law, the US would have to “fundamentally reassess” its relations with the country.
The bill, titled “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence,” requires non-governmental organizations that receive at least 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents. Proponents of the bill in the ruling Georgian Dream Party have compared it to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which requires individuals or entities engaging in lobbying or other activity on behalf of a foreign country to register as foreign agents with the US Department of Justice.
The US and other Western nations have compared the bill to a similar law enacted by Russia in 2012. The Russian law was part of Moscow’s response to the US government funding NGOs and opposition parties.