Mariam Lashkhi, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee, and committee member Giorgi Chakvetadze met with a delegation from the Foreign and European Affairs Committee of the Parliament of the Italian Republic.

The parties discussed bilateral relations and further strengthening cooperation in economic diplomacy. During the meeting, they touched upon Georgia’s European integration process, the security challenges facing the region, the upcoming parliamentary elections, and the pre-election environment.

Mariam Lashkhi mentioned that the main challenge in the approximately 100 elections taking place worldwide this year is disinformation. One of the key topics of discussion was the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the Venice Commission’s opinion on this law.

“During our discussion, we delved into the reasons behind the necessity of introducing this bill, particularly highlighting the fact that there are approximately 25,000 non-governmental organizations in the country that are currently not required to adhere to transparency standards under existing legislation. It’s regrettable that there hasn"t been a robust, constructive, and meaningful debate surrounding the law, neither from the opposition nor the civil sector. The lack of substantive engagement is further evidenced by the President’s veto”, - said Mariam Lashkhi.