Georgian President vows to veto law on foreign agents that sparked protests in Tbilisi

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is visiting the United States as large-scale protests unfold in Tbilisi, has already given her support to the demonstrators.

She announced that she would veto the law on foreign agents, which caused such a sharp reaction from society.

“I appeal to you, who are standing this evening on Rustaveli Avenue, as I have repeatedly stood. I am in New York, the Statue of Liberty is behind me. This is a symbol of what Georgia has always fought for, I am next to you, because today you represent a free Georgia, Georgia, which sees its future in Europe and will not allow anyone to take away this future.

This bill, which no one needed, which came out of nowhere, unless dictated by Moscow, this law should be abolished. As you wish, it cannot be sent to the Venice Commission, the Venice Commission knows perfectly well what kind of law this is. From day one, I said I would veto it. I will veto it. I am not interested in its consideration, I am not interested in its compliance with the old American law, which, as we know very well, serves quite different purposes. I am only interested in the future of Georgia, the Constitution, of which I am the guarantor. It says that all state institutions, and first of all me, but also the government, the authorities, are obliged to do everything so that Georgia finds itself in Europe.

Everyone who supports this law today, everyone who voted for it today, are violating the Constitution, they are all alienating us from Europe,” the president said.