The head of Harvard Univesity's Davis Center Georgian studies program, Professor Stephen Jones, criticizes the Russian Law and notes that the adoption of the law will end Georgia's progress on the path to the European Union. 

"As Director of the Program on Georgian Studies, at the Davis Center, Harvard University, I would like to say the following: The Program on Georgian Studies at the Davis Center at Harvard University is watching the events in Georgia today with concern. This is a decisive moment in Georgian history and consequential for the future of Georgian democracy. The Program on Georgian Studies is supported by the Georgian Ministry of Education and Science, but it is an academic program dedicated to scholarly independence, freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression. We cannot survive without these attributes and nor can Georgian democracy. The bill on "The Transparency of Foreign Influence," better known as the Foreign Agents’ bill, is a challenge to the academic values our Program defends as part of its commitment to free and independent inquiry. The vaguely phrased "Foreign Agents" law, if passed, will create opportunities for increased restrictions on freedom of expression by independent media, Georgian academic bodies, and civil society organizations (including human rights organizations). It will end any progress on Georgia’s candidacy status for the European Union. The vast majority of EU officials and party representatives in the European parliament have testified to this fact. We urge the Georgian parliament to withdraw this bill which will do great harm to Georgia’s national security and to its reputation for tolerance and commitment to building a genuine democracy in the South Caucasus" - said Stephen Jones.