America News Agency

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that the United States is trying to achieve regime change in Georgia by provoking large protest demonstrations during the parliamentary elections in the former Soviet republic to be held this year.

Relations between Washington and Tbilisi deteriorated after Georgia adopted the foreign agents law in May. The law requires NGOs, media organizations, and individuals receiving more than 20 percent of their funds from abroad to register and disclose their donors as "supporting the interests of a foreign power."

The country's pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, vetoed the law, but the ruling Georgian Dream party overrode it.

The SVR's press service said on Tuesday that information obtained by the agency "demonstrates Washington's strong determination to seek regime change in Georgia as a result of the parliamentary elections to be held on October 26".

It was emphasized that the administration of US President Joe Biden "is already preparing a large-scale information campaign to discredit the Georgian Dream party".

The agency said that "American 'curators' have already ordered opposition forces in Georgia to begin planning protests to coincide with the elections".