The U.S. Embassy in Georgia said the foreign agent bill undermines the long-standing relations between Washington and Tbilisi.
"The statements that misrepresent the foreign support in Georgia that we have used for 31 years to ensure Georgia's ability to strengthen its economy and democracy significantly undermine the strong relationship we developed with the government and people of Georgia.," the statement reads.
According to the U.S. embassy, the bill could become an obstacle to Tbilisi's path to NATO and the European Union.
Anti-government protests have been cropping up sporadically in Tbilisi since April 15, when the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party started discussing the bill on the Transparency of Foreign Influence.
The bill "On the Transparency of Foreign Influence" is opposed by Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, the opposition and Western diplomats, who see it as an obstacle to Georgia’s integration into the EU.
The first three days of large-scale protests were followed by peaceful marches that Georgian youths had held almost daily. As many as 63 people were detained and six police officers were injured during an opposition protest in Tbilisi on April 30, according to data from the Georgian Interior Ministry.
The Georgian Dream ruling party announced a decision in early April to reintroduce the draft law to parliament. This happened a year after a similar initiative triggered mass protests, forcing the authorities to shelve the bill.
