Burjanadze to Visit U.S.

Former parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze will leave for the United States on August 23, her press office has said.

Burjanadze, who is now the president and founder of the Foundation for Democracy and Development (FDD), will participate in events organized by the National Democratic Institue and International Republican Institute, FDD said in a press release, without specifying details. It, however, also said that meetings with the U.S. Department of State officials were also planned.

Burjanadze said on August 18 that a Russian troop withdrawal was a priority, but the government would definitely face “tough questions” afterwards, about what led to the conflict and why it all happened.

“I’m afraid it will not be very easy for the government to answer all the questions,” Burjanadze said in an interview with Reuters.

The FDD said in a separate announcement on August 20 that its board of advisors had met to discuss recent developments and to begin elaborating a policy paper on ways out of the current crisis.

“Of course making the right assessment of recent developments is very important,” an FDD press release quoted Burjanadze as saying. “But at this stage, I want to ask you [referring to the FDD’s board of advisors], to focus on how to help the country out of this very difficult situation. It is of special importance now to objectively analyze [the situation] and to table recommendations and a set of mechanisms to overcome the crisis.”