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U.S. Ambassador Bids Farewell to Georgia


U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Ian Kelly. Photo: facebook.com/tbilisi.usembassy/

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Ian Kelly is to quit his post, and his diplomatic career of 33 years, for an academic position at the Northwestern University in Illinois, said the ambassador himself during a speech at an event in Tbilisi organized by the Rondeli Foundation (GFSIS) and the Atlantic Council of Georgia.

Ambassador Kelly summarized the results of the U.S.-Georgian cooperation in the defense, security, judicial, economic, healthcare and education sectors, also speaking about Georgia’s progress and challenges in terms of its democratic reforms.

Speaking about the results of Georgia’s Western integration efforts, Ian Kelly highlighted the importance of its Association Agreement with the European Union, visa-free regime in the Schengen zone, initiation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package and opening the Joint Training and Evaluation Center. Kelly also said he “was witness to three elections deemed open and largely transparent by international standards.”

“While Georgia’s Western path has deepened over my time here, we still need to anchor Georgia in the West and make its trajectory truly irreversible,” said the U.S. ambassador, adding that “while Georgia remains very much on the right track, there are still some issues of concern.”

Ambassador Kelly specified that “the dominance of the ruling party at all levels of government risks creating an uneven democratic playing field.” He said the elections in 2018 and 2020 would be “further tests for political pluralism.”

Speaking about the election environment, the U.S. ambassador said he would like “to see Georgia harmonize its electoral laws with international standards and move to a fully proportional system in 2024, taking into account OSCE and international observer recommendations.” He added that “the conduct of free and fair elections requires that the Central Election Commission operate as a fully independent and trustworthy institution that stands above politics and applies both the spirit and the letter of the law.”

Ian Kelly said it was important for a “a pluralistic political environment” to exist in Georgia, with all parties having an opportunity to compete on the same level, and the citizens expressing their will at the ballot box free of any pressure or intimidation.

The ambassador also spoke about the problems in the Georgian judiciary. He said it was “imperative that people have faith in Georgia’s system of justice and know that it upholds their rights not only in rhetoric, but in reality,” adding that “an impartial court system, free from outside influence,” was central to attracting foreign investment.

Ian Kelly stressed the importance of free and pluralistic press, saying that “there can be no tolerance for intimidating the media or otherwise attempting to silence alternative points of view,” and that “no one should infringe on the people’s right to know, and hold their elected leaders accountable.”

The American ambassador spoke about the role of parliament in governance, noting that “Georgia’s Parliament is the direct representation of its people, and yet it often lacks the resources and authorities to watch over a more powerful government bureaucracy,” and adding that “Georgia’s system of checks and balances can only work if the legislature becomes a fully empowered institution, taking on more oversight responsibilities of the executive branch – especially the security services.”

Ian Kelly’s candidacy for a post of the ambassador to Georgia was put forward by President Barack Obama, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June 2015. On September 17, he took office after presenting his credential to President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

The precise date of Ian Kelly’s departure from Georgia is unknown. Until a new U.S. ambassador to Georgia is appointed, the diplomatic mission will be led by Ambassador Kelly’s deputy, Elizabeth Rood.

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