people to solve for getting people to protest, connect with our community and tap into conversations you want find elsewhere. why is our government taking us to work on the basis of live? we the public have to get out there and do something about it. the stream on out to the era a political stand off in georgia, the government says a bill, it's trying to pause for a 2nd time. would regulate phone influence and protect the country's silver, unsafe, protects of protesting, it would crush freedom. is this a crisis that will the royal george's fit to join the european union? this is inside story, the color the and welcome to the program. i'm laura kyle, georgia. is that a political cross rights? there's widespread angle on the street. so for a bill it's 6,

the cub foreign funding of non governmental organizations. the prime minister says it's necessary to block external influences. the product has to say the legislation with finance critics of the government had to pull them into elections in october demonstrations last year for the governing georgian dream policy to drop an earlier version of the bill. the crisis is undermining the countries and vision to join the european union. and the books leaders have criticized the so called for an agents bill on prompting georgia candidates states as last december. they said they expect the quote, the state to carry out traditional and electro reforms and improve press freedoms. will impact all these issues and just a moment with all experts. but for this report by send to them on a protest against a sophie for an agent's bill are growing in georgia. the opposition is united with demonstrators saying it's a par, terry. and, and similar to a low russia uses to crush, to send this to me. uh most,

i want to show the position of my family no, to russia, a pulse and futures, and you are because we need to europe the injustice in europe in order with the system. so if the people are not the other way around, the system doesn't serve the people. proposed law would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents or faith spines and the governing party. georgia. dream has organized riley's of its own supporters say it's necessary to protect georgia from harmful outside influences that could undermine traditional values and or mom or in a sense of what motherland, mother, tongue, and face of the pellets of our identity. one, i'd never say no to my identity. earlier this month up role interrupted in parliament during debates on the little other side of how heated divisions have become the european union as warrant the passing, the bill could undermine georgia, did to join the block. the country was granted candidate status in december,

a most george and voters are in favor of membership. the government has a majority in parliament and can push the bill through without opposition support. and it has the bose to override any presidential veto. 6 but many in georgia are concerned that this little could have major implications for how the country is governed in the future. and whether that future will include being part of the european union sense and monahan al jazeera for inside story. or without college, you know, shop of all of it is outside the parliament in georgia is capital t, please see my politicians, alta pacing the bell. so why near the home and building right now, nothing indicates that the georgia and capital has been shaken 5 months of all positions process and the last 2 weeks. but more protests are expected later on today as call them and says, approving the 2nd of 3 readings of the controversial for an influence transparency . know some preparations are in the way for it right now at georgia. dream policy trying to adult the same. the last chair, buddy cold, major pros has that 10 fine,

and so the drop have to be revised to many brief assign renee fonts on, but in fine it was plus part of the forward. he didn't have bonds and the idea to adopted the latest valley here in police was actually in support of the know it was organized by the georgia dream policy, more than 150000 people gathered here. but a position media outlets reported most of those people were a state workers and they have been brought here from 11 to address the governing policy rules and years to register as being under the 4 influence. if they receive more than 20 percent of the funding from abroad, something the positions hers is the cold of build the russian law. as most of the use of similar legislation to cross down from critics, these people support georgia's european posts on the keys. the current government of trying to return the country to rush as old as they will in georgia to be part of the you on a european future for the country reporting from the georgia and capital finishes.

you'd have some pop out of the inside story. but let's bring you know, a guess now and from t bc with joins by my m. last key is a member of the georgia empowerment promoting the bill from brussels. 20 k. go dads, a fellow at jack to low institute and full of a minister of european integration of georgia and also from to basically with joins by member of parliament. katcha couldn't, i'd say, who is opposing the approval of this bill. great to have you will with us. all right, let's start with you. perhaps you can tell us why the government is so keen to post this bill when there's so much opposition to it. i thank you very much. so 1st of all, for giving me you've given me the opportunity to talk, so your audience where it's all sides with the lloyd. so the and the signature is ation, which has been less than a day. so discuss the work agent. first of all is not existing in the law,

and the only think it is this law requires his transparency requires the organization and only non profit organizations, not citizens, so declared. therefore his income is more than 20 percent. this is much lighter version of american firewall and based on you directed by the way you rock control on wednesdays in the process of acquiring this transference of last, as we speak, price already has it's in sports and more than 15 countries. so those wires, including us trend, the kind of dine cetera are discussing this. well, we're located in the trim live politically for jar location. and i have to also say that we are, is gone fine. not totally by the russians, but also the for georgia political situation which are located in the occupation, which is the by russia. their forces in our country said want to, why this country, so this 70 station in order to gain back the power. therefore los such it,

which is this way is extremely important for our country, and this is also very timely initiated. so we okay. they take off the people, they do. okay, ma'am you've laid out the the, the reason is full. thank you very much. cash i can always already seen shaking your head back. can you lay out the reasons for your position to the floor? oh, thank you very much. actual m says i'm sitting now just now on. so didn't get that . the mentor recession room where the very hard the beach about the, about the russian law because of the largest citizens. i mean, they don't college law about the bill of budgeting, parents, the, it, they call the restaurant call. it's not about the transfer. say, i mean, let me explain why it's about it's are russian. i'm billy under all the guard between a bunch with me. he used to be the former prime minister of georgia. i'm here in the lot of money in early ninety's direct shop. and yesterday, key,

when he had the big gathering the front of the georgia problem and from governmental gatherings and made it very clear that the 14 number one and a me is the, was the us on cold war part. see, i mean, global work party, everybody for criticizes came on for one 3rd, j to be integrated into the rope and union. and i mean, to call them like, you know, they want to drug georgette into the work. so it's about the native under shortly who made the jo, political choice. and actually i called these do russian bill to because i mean it's about the jo poetic trucks. i mean it's not about the transference because let me explain. so here i have, i'm in the session room. sorry it does. it's very nice a. so here is a note of what displays have been here to it. so the transference and regulation i was this is yeah, it shouldn't by means this is i apply no, you know, just the drops our report. know it's report by, oh i see your dear and it says i need to about like, um, uh, 50 pages,

but it's not very well and very clearly that the slot is against the on demand footprints that pulls out the rep and union and the freedom of association, i'm actually just today the administer don't care. so we do who is a former minister of georgia for and as her as minister of georgia. he's in brussels anecdotally, our introducing upfront partners in brussel. they told him birth clearly that the is law about transfer. so which is not about trans paula zip transfer. and so because the gym legislation regularly, they uh a lot so that we have a lot of lots of deals regulating the george and know the income or, and jo, sensical, society see, i mean, in the tax code and other, okay, now you're transferring. so the agent, so actually, i mean, your opinion. yeah, maybe it's very clear in georgia problem and we'll publish law. there will be no choice for your opinion to ration up for georgia and, you know,

the sort of the american before they were supposed to. again, this one parents wouldn't marry them to respond to that. does this now scott does as know the if it's paused when it's gotta george's membership to be your opinion. first of all we, um, i am used to hearing the light from my colleague from a position because 1st of all, and she's already brandy. does the liar because to one. she was the kind of a thing that the georgia saw of 2 companies sanction, uh, and that's georgia. i was through georgia rush. she's buying bulls to boom, the keys. so if you create, forget the name, it is the yeah, you're a member to the section. yes. sure, the evidence was that the, the specialist read uh hire invoice said that there is no to any evidence of it. so

that's why i think and another one of the opposition representative. he had a transformed old expected jake. location of the main cell is find the resolution for the face of russian interest 10 by the have the on the goes to what i can now just to give the brandy of tomorrow if you don't mind because we need to keep on track with this particular discussion, we don't have very long to get to the ultimate, let me bring it in to an a k. at this stage. you'll the embrace those was, is the block saying about this bill? it was a unanimous from the mission of israel and uh, just uh, uh, quotes on the. busy issue to tell you the georgia that these lawyers adults do are each will jo provider to destroy the chance of do you have georgia to uh, to become a member even to start the application? it's about the membership, the nubian union. so the person who's so from the, from the majority party and she should be updated on her personal and talking

points when she's comparing the more to the existing laws in the west, some different western democracies, the leader of the georgia dream yesterday said that the target was explicitly the way, so it isn't possible to understand this extremely ambiguous and it's a, this is kind of a, i don't know or causally comes for the 3 to say that georgia is adults and you will be a most it case. you want to use the, the, the, the, the, to the georgia dream is now to qualify. i'll do a position as a forwarding address as to feeling who did time in georgia. this is a very clear that continues to the language that was, that is used all sewing bellows and these kind of countries. so every, each reaction i'm coming from brussels from the capital is billy harris also from washington was know this law is not something that we have in our legislation. this

is something that is based off the russian law. and no, there was no secret that never georgia since the 2012 has a found any russian spies any russian agents in 12 years. where in everywhere the world in all democracies. there they are in lots of findings of reference, a spice or russian influence network. never georgia has ever mentioned us as a, as a, as a, as a source to, to georgia's democracy and all the, the west is now considered as the threat to georgia democracy, which is something also. okay, ma'am, i want to that now address that same question to you again, when you head directly from brussels, the you is saying this bill is likely to destroy negotiations for georgia's accession to e u membership. is that something that concerns the georgia dream policy? um, 1st of all, georgia dream parts. it is the,

the only power as in the tech support association. all the key milestones we tried towards your broken integration starting from institution agreement dfcs. he's a liberal ization as well as the steps, as we remember also last year when those who are aware lead to previous to government those members of the problem where kelley says, if we do not release former president from present, and by the way, he's not to present as i can say next, we will not get the candidate successes, but the fact was different, right? so we see that. so sometimes it helps only about the, the few members of the problem and you are talking about and initiating the resolution. but it's all about the priest, the polls and key values, which we're sliding for towards the european union. we know that by every day, and we, i like definitely this is the arrow perceptions and anyone can create the perceptions

towards the award russian a. so uh with the, uh, it's kind of a damaging because the georgia dream was the party who has raised system motions and who also receive up to society a by retreat has around 90 percent support to european union. and then i saw a membership. i think the majority major, your foreign x ray, and we have to look at the evidence. the ok, well the now let's just bring cash we had. so put back to have a yeah, we have my, i'm saying the georgia dream policy is still storage. the pro europe, it broke georgia to the canada that states us at the end of last year and it remains so what do you say to that as well? unfortunately, i mean i can say that the murray, i'm have very poor arguments about because they don't have arguments. first of all, drugs in the such as the tentative sounds you're rep can you and yeah, but, but,

but the people of georgia who last year just, you know, they had serious protests and money for station, especially youngsters. they get into the russian law against this for an agent law . and actually by then in march, 2023, a georgia dream said that they will never going to be back to this slow again. i mean, so they broke. the problem is again to george young people. so this year and actually to attend the dentist said to so, i mean, we go to a lot of 1st invitation from the european union, then. yes, i mean, we have to be in compliance with the, with the line of, with the recommendation of purch and updates. so these for commendations had been broken again by the georgia 3 inches and the number one is the it brings up this for you and agents law again. so when we're talking about the growth in union ending to ration so, but surely i have to run my call to remind my paulding and also your audience was probably not very much aware of the discontinued and you're a deluxe your united states sanction. former prosecutor general parts how loud but

uh and say that the parts, colorado who used to be the very close associate. so be the name of an issue of the and the general persecutor. who was the russians. 5 extra position and the lots of plus people, society and joe. oh so i mean i'm the george young people be requesting thing this . the geisha in against is russian supply protocol lot but, but unfortunately, i mean, we never received and got your response for gen 3 and so they covered for color. thank the harvard was forward. they coverage with national bank. so when it's up to 12 parents, the and my colleagues said something about the car and say, no, it's not. so because i mean we have, i mean the, probably the most on trust perente clip talk for the fiber meant with the only bird can. so i have to say that the opinion integration and nature integration, it will be on the threads. so that's why a lot of people have been protesting outside the problem and for the bad just now. and to tell you the georgia dream already dropped this bill. last year because of

all these shoes, protests against it. so why is it picked it up again? now you're pretty tons to know much better than european union. what is your pin just of which is not so and your name is new york and your name come back as well to groups us because your peons. so it is unbelievable when it comes to association agreement and defined the compressor free trade agreement. these agreements were prepared by the previous government and only signed by the con government, so they shouldn't say to the benefits boards that's on to everyone remembers how, how we, how we talk. and when, when you're being union and gave the candidate status to georgia, it was a geopolitical decision. you political decision because you didn't want georgia to state all of they stop coming and the large ones, uh, wait and the, it was a given, they're providing. but the 9 very clear and the completion of what's going to be applied in georgia by the georgia. now coming to your question,

yes, the board was abandoned last year. but this year, do you have so grateful elections in october? and so as the leader of georgia dream yesterday, playing the key part of the slow game, no, to introduce to positions, he never human, then he's not learned about this is a business. he said, a single society, an independent spread out of the 49 years. and he needs to move to we can them before the elections, what, what he said, the very, very key in 10 seconds. a secondary question is that at georgia needs. so russia needs to see from georgia, a sign of allegiance and loyalty. and these kind of, most article people told me in georgia, but of indifference. former soviet countries were all the russian reports. and this, he says, fine allegiance to russia in demonstration of loyalty. why never russia is never

mentioned as a threat to george's independence, george russell. i just 20 percent of georgia surgery and the biggest threat to georgia is the and yours and repress of its receive more than 20 percent of the budget and from the, from the with. okay, so the pulse that over to you, what is the exact threats coming from n g a is, 1st of all we have to say that the, uh, the, i have to respond that it was prepared by the previous government. so when we came into power there they were saying like to yours, they really pack these of the students and i bring a signature from the power was the, the one to talk to really working on it. by the time i was working, go to these pace, minnes bellevue integration. so i remember the faces myself when . 6 talking about the dropping of the legislation, i have to say that 1st of all, i know the issue was the stuff of my in georgia is 3700000 people. we have

25000. thank goes uh, working through the capital. and this is the, the highest number pick, copy times x, comparing to wherever you rock in, in every country. on the other side, we have to also notice that the. com thank so far, for instance, where the receipts will be so hard to say. yeah, we have the n g of the what participating in political decision making going to do both but and trust, i feel those organizational said when talking of individually with the, the practice. i mean, they cannot even name at least one sentence from the law, which she's saying does more than transfer when we dropped it to all the so low because is a game big, i think they should send and calling everything. ok, so, so the resolution which was supporting the ukraine when these are the works package which was initiated by our call me see if you pray support resolution the names and

rented the motion resolution. and this is like a part of this ever thank you, by the bustle can be named the russian. so this is the branding and the typical branding of the think much as ation and other things. why do we have drop is listed there? were lots of one plus francis and did to directly. meanwhile we have the to a live, but you can go to e d. this is the rock in a farm girl who were, who are mainly financing be thank goes to come directly, goes to this website and see that after 2021. there is no to not the data about the projects we say uh right. do you talk to them? okay, so let's just bring touch here now. and then. um, so what was the concern about this bill's impact on n g a is and civil society more broadly in georgia? well, i'm wondering why um ms. laska doesn't response about the name of initially.

i mean the chair of the well let me know board chair for her because i mean, she doesn't have been asked to read about it. actually when we're talking about the trust 1st of the money, nobody knows how did you know of an issue of there and a lot of money in russia, ninety's. and i don't think that the rush line ninety's is frustrating. it would be the name of industry and it had been doing there was so trust for end the day. you had the morrow, right. i mean the world around to talk about the swap. sorry, kathy has mentioned the phones of georgia dream policy, the ex prime minister, even though it's really a number of times today. could you just give us an idea of how influential he is when his sentiments nice because he was very pro your opinion, is he now more pro from lead and, and why he's way of most on the political front lines now. he's personal. well, so you so something according to forces magazine, something like 60 and so for dollars and george's annual gp,

16 billions. so we can imagine the rest of your piece, well, send a manual gdp over the cost which is uh, higher in the world. it's even higher than blue nato salon. i don't even know this comes to your page. so yeah, they do all the ministers of georgia dream. all the members of the georgia dream mater approved for some of the buyers visited their busy night on the shootings. and i don't know who told you that he was you appear, georgia population is for europeans and the georgia dream has to pay attention to the majority of joining population. 80 percent of georgia's are for european union, so they cannot directly attacking virginia. that's why they are at. busy thing, these already have strategies saying you won't be as bad, but we'll, we won't euro so this is that they try to maintain descent. did you see that it doesn't work anymore because they are switching. they've directly attacked the union on the west and just the last point when, when the game,

the person from the majority a said that she works for the association agreement. i'm sorry, i was the chief negotiator. maybe she doesn't remember, but i was never, she's there for 2 years on hall in this negotiate and so like, i don't remember her either, but i don't know. maybe she was doing a power with negotiations. okay. okay. uh, let's, let's not, let's titles the, joining the story. okay. the guys want to bring mary, i'm incentives are further discussion for a little bit now because we've got these problem entry elections do. in october, the georgia dream will be seeking a full time in the office. will it be a free and fair election? myroom? yes. as soon as this wednesday or live action was the best buy or the or the or less the election as well. but on the, i didn't know to be helpful to mention that the georgia dream is to the party

who has named russia and won't be a quarter to 5 boards to against russia. and if the government on the country or whoever is the pro russian, they cannot do all the kind of feature in our track record west. we have a last shot for the fall. we need to be course press international i to my courts as well. even though the previous regime sign, the resolution squared bank has named our own soldiers of testing before, even though they're not gonna have to jump into that because you're going to go to the that's what i, what do you have on how to, what she thinks about these elections that are coming up, that's the election, the on toe, but elections will georgians dream when a full time in office. well let me show you. i mean, i'm very sorry about my colleague because she doesn't have their dement so she has to prepare a bird, but actually i can say yes. so they busy. no, but it's really heavy again,

just on the lines that the for he there are 2 very important factors for the next election is central election commission and it's the ports and 200, both of them today actually the georgia dream had voted for the new sunflower exchange commission had the which is upsets as a bird united to the door, jens, remind me by initially and i have to on the line. but they, she said that this, these 2 elements are very much important for that. you want to really nice st. joe's and civil society not to bring the, the inter nation of all observers and to eliminate all of us and your school wants to really and had the taishan the license to really just observe the battery. gotcha. i just, the general is a, again, to print up observers. yeah. because we have run out of time of thank you very much to our expense today for a lively discussion. indeed, it does highlight the divisions in georgia at the moment. many thanks to all guess

katya. the kind of i'd say to kate and my god as a and my last king. thank you to for watching. you can see the program again. any time for visiting our website this i'll just share dot com for further discussion. do guys, well facebook page that's facebook dot com full slash a inside story. you cause to join the conversation on x. so homeless at a inside story. for me, laura, kyle, i'm the whole team here is by the, the humanity has opened the gates of hell or in those seats is having orlando's effects as the world discusses how to reduce emissions. supposing an existential threat to humanity, a new oil rush is displacing. you've got the people empower, investigates, the relationship between the mikey oil giants of the global notes and the developing nations of the global south. crude mistake. talk to of 200

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e m the to hello. i'm elizabeth donovan, doha with the top stories on onto farrah university protests against israel. osborne gaza, continuing to gather steam in the us, students and campuses from the east to the west coast of bound to stay in encampments until the demands of match. those include the academic institutions coughing times with as well as an end to us military aid. early at the university of north carolina chapel ho people's replaced the american flag with the palestinian one on top of the building. please move in to clear the encampment and can be seen using pep as phrase or display of students at columbia university in new york, students occupying a historic, cold barricaded themselves inside the build.