TBILISI. May 15 (Interfax) - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna said they believe Georgia is moving in a wrong direction after its parliament had passed the bill on the transparency of foreign influence.
"Our message is crystal clear, the path to the European Union with this bill is not just harder, there is no path, and it hurts me to say these words, but they need to be said," the Lithuanian minister said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Landsberis is paying a visit to Tbilisi alongside his colleagues from Latvia, Estonia and Iceland.
The foreign agent bill is aimed against civil institutions and non-governmental organizations opposing the government's policy, he said.
"This law could be used to silence these institutions and it goes against the main, fundamental principles of democracy on which the European Union stands," the Lithuanian minister said.
Landsbergis said he believes that there is still a chance to abandon this bill after the Georgian president vetoes it.
Estonian Foreign Minister Tsahkna, for his part, said during the press conference that "when the government of Georgia adopts the aforementioned bill instead of the nine steps [in the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations], it is an example of an exact opposite direction, to another city rather than the European Union."
Tsahkna said the EU sanctions are possible, if things get even worse. At the same time, he pointed out that visa liberalization is not guaranteed for Georgia.
"That's because we've signed the agreement, and the government of Georgia promised us many things, as well as this nine-step approach. And instead of these steps, the government adopts this bill,' the Estonian foreign minister said.
It is not what the Georgian people want, and the responsibility would lie with the Georgian government, not the Georgian people, he said.