Two Texas congressmen – Ted Poe of the Republicans and Gene Green of the Democrats – introduced a bipartisan resolution regarding Georgia into the House of Representatives on October 23.
The proposed resolution (H.Res.576) is titled “Reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States of America and the country of Georgia.” It states that the U.S. and Georgia “are bound together by an oath of friendship and a shared commitment to the cause of freedom,” and stresses that “the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain under Russian occupation, one-fifth of Georgia’s sovereign territory.”
The text of the introduced resolution also reiterates support for Georgia’s NATO membership bid, and highlights various aspects of the Georgian-American strategic partnership and successful reforms within Georgia, including economic reforms that “have resulted in strong economic growth and increased foreign investment to include investments from U.S. businesses.”
At the same time, the draft resolution also says that “members of the United States Congress have voiced concerns about individuals in Georgia working to undermine commitments made to American companies.”
In this regard, the resolution text includes a call “for the Government of Georgia to strengthen and enforce the rule of law with regards to adhering to contractual obligations and protecting intellectual property rights,” and “for the Government of Georgia to demonstrate its commitment to welcome and respect freely negotiated conditions of both existing and future business investment.”
Congressman Ted Poe, in his statement regarding the introduced resolution, called Georgia “a regional model of democracy and liberty” and “a devoted and supportive ally of the United States.” He added, however, that in recent years “American companies have expressed increasing concern regarding the business environment in Georgia, pointing to bureaucratic obfuscation and alleging lingering corruption in some corners of the Georgian government.”
Congressman Poe said that “more work needs to be done to prevent Georgia’s backsliding along its democratic trajectory,” adding that while the proposed resolution reaffirmed America’s strong ties with Georgia, it also called “for a level playing field for American companies operating in the country.”
Congressman Greene said that “Georgia’s growth in recent years has been impressive, thanks in part to its welcoming business climate for foreign investors,” but that “breaking commitments to American companies in Georgia would undermine the U.S.-Georgia relationship that both parties have worked to develop.”
