US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Visits Georgia

On December 5, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Joshua Huck, who is visiting Tbilisi. The U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, and the Head of the Government Administration Revaz Javelidze also attended the meeting.

According to the government administration press release, the parties “reviewed the agenda of the strategic partnership between Georgia and the United States of America and discussed the steps to strengthen and deepen the existing cooperation in various fields.”

The positive recommendation of the European Commission to grant Georgia the status of an EU candidate country was noted. PM Garibashvili said that the government expects a favorable decision from the Council of the European Union on Georgia’s EU candidacy, noting that “EU integration is one of the main priorities of the Georgian government’s foreign policy.”

The parties also exchanged views on the issues of regional stability. “The Prime Minister stressed the importance of peaceful settlement of conflicts and the joint efforts against the backdrop of global challenges,” – reads the press release.

In addition, the meeting focused on the security and humanitarian conditions in the occupied territories of Georgia. The head of the government thanked Joshua Huck for the support of the U.S. for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as for the support of Georgia’s European integration.

“Deputy Assistant Secretary Josh Huck and Ambassador Dunnigan had a productive meeting with PM Irakli Garibashvili and FM Ilia Darchiashvili and discussed United States’ continued support for the U.S-Georgia strategic partnership and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory,” – the US Embassy tweeted.

On December 5, Deputy Assistant Secretary Huck also met the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Archil Talakvadze. 

The Georgian Parliament reported that the discussions focused on Georgia’s development, European integration efforts, and the key aspects of cooperation with the United States.

“I expressed my gratitude to the representative of the US State Department for its support of Georgia’s territorial integrity and European integration. We highly value and prioritize the friendship and strategic partnership that our country shares with the United States of America,” – said the Vice-Speaker of Parliament.

“Positive exchange with Joshua Huck, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Discussed strategic partnership agenda and Georgia’s progress on EU integration. We value the support of the U.S. to consolidate our democracy further and make Georgia stronger,” – Talakvadze tweeted. 

On December 6, Deputy Assistant Secretary Huck met Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze. 

According to the Defense Ministry, the talks focused on cooperation in the defense and security areas and discussed global and regional security challenges.

The Minister of Defense thanked  Mr. Huck for the exemplary partnership and the political and practical support of the United States.

The progress made by Georgia in NATO integration and Georgia’s contribution to ensuring international security were noted. Steps taken to strengthen defense capabilities and future development plans were also discussed. The parties also discussed increasing U.S. foreign military funding and joint international exercises.

According to the information, U.S. Ambassador Dunnigan and the U.S. Defense Attaché, Colonel Joseph Bilbo attended the meeting. 

On December 6, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State also met with the representatives of the opposition parties. After the meeting, several politicians, including the leaders of the “Girchi-More Freedom-Droa” coalition, Zurab Japaridze and Elene Khoshtaria, and the member of “Strategy Aghmashenebeli” Sergo Chikhladze, commented to journalists.

According to them, the meeting focused mainly on the upcoming 2024 elections, the pre-election period, and challenges related to the electoral process. Prospects for a possible future coalition government were also discussed.

On December 5, the Deputy Assistant Secretary Huck also met with local CSOs, including the Transparency International / TI-Georgia, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association.

The discussions focused on Georgia’s integration into European structures, the issues of democratic reforms in Georgia and the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections.

“Delighted to host US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Josh Huck. Alongside partners from “Fair Elections” and the Young Lawyers Association, we discussed Georgia’s European integration, democratic reforms, and the 2024 elections,” – TI-Georgia tweeted.

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