Kobakhidze Says State Grant Agency Created Amid NGO Crackdown Will Close by Year-End

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists the State Grant Management Agency -- established by government decree in April 2025 alongside the Law on Transparency of Foreign Funding restricting Western grants to civil society -- is "phasing out" and will close by the end of 2026. Kobakhidze called an NGO "an artificial phenomenon that was invented artificially for the purpose of foreign political intervention." Former Georgian Young Lawyers' Association head Nona Kurdovanidze said the closure shows the government sees no further need even for the appearance of supporting civil society; the agency had disbursed only about 1.7 million lari ($653,000) to 17 organizations since opening for applications in July 2025.