During the annual "Year in Review" press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin, responding to a question about support for young families, noted the tradition of early marriages in the North Caucasus. He said he believed this was "right" and suggested "following their example," citing Ramzan Kadyrov's large family.
A procession to the parliament building is taking place in Tbilisi, organized by the youth wing of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Later, the column will join a pro-government demonstration for the adoption of a law on foreign agents.
Media reports that in the front row of the march was the youngest son of the honorary chairman of the party, billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. The opposition attributes to him connections with the Russian leadership.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who opposes the ruling party, commented on the procession: “Yesterday was the 15th day of mass spontaneous protests against the “Russian law” and for the European future of Georgia. Today is a “Putin” action: civil servants “came” to Tbilisi to applaud the decisions of the ruling party. The real Georgia is a free Georgia! European Georgia!
Today, the Georgian Parliamentary Committee supported the bill on foreign agents in the second reading. All opposition was expelled from the meeting room.
The “pro-Russian” law on foreign agents previously adopted by the government was criticized by the European Parliament, senators and the US State Department, as well as the governments of European countries.