U.S. Official Meets Opposition Leaders

Leaders of the New Rights, Republican, Industrialists and Georgia?s Way opposition parties met with visiting U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried on October 18.
 
After the talks, opposition leaders said that relations between Russia and Georgia, the October 5 local elections and shortcomings in the democratic reform were among the topics discussed.

?It is notable that Daniel Fried, who is one of the most influential persons at the U.S. Department of State, is disposed to listen to the Georgian opposition. He made it clear that the United States is not just a supporter of Saakashvili and the National Movement, but it is a supporter of the Georgian people and Georgia. We talked much about the Russian-Georgian relations and the UN resolution [on Abkhazia], as well as about internal problems,? MP Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of New Rights Party, said after the meeting. 
 
?I gave my assessment of the local elections. It is well-known that these elections were most undemocratic, especially in the the pre-election period… Americans are interested to prepare parliamentary elections in a different way. And of course Russian-Georgian tensions topped the agenda of the discussions,? Salome Zourabichvili, the leader of Georgia?s Way, said.

?I focused on the tense relationship between Russia and Georgia. I think that the situation is deteriorating, thus creating difficulties for our little country. The U.S. officials expressed their support to us,? Gogi Topadze, the leader of Industrialist Party, said.
 
?Special attention was paid to the issue of the judicial system in Georgia, especially to the fact that the country failed to create a system that would enable businesses politicians and ordinary citizens to be secure and trust that the country has an impartial court that will deal with any disputes. This has in turn resulted in the damage of many other systems,? Davit Usupashvili, the leader of Republican Party, said.

Daniel Fried arrived in Tbilisi on October 17 and will also meet with the Georgian leadership to discuss democratic reforms, NATO integration and the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts, according to the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi.

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