In a letter sent to Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili on May 24, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, while voicing concern about the foreign agents law, commended President Salome Zurabishvili’s recent actions, including her veto of the bill, in protecting Georgia’s democracy and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic path.
“President Biden and I have been following events in Georgia with great concern,” the letter begins, adding that they are worried about developments in Georgia, such as the passage of the foreign agents bill, that “could threaten Georgia’s democracy and undermine Georgia’s relationship with the United States and Europe.” The U.S. Vice President applauds President Zurabishvili’s recent actions, including her veto of “that anti-democratic measure” as well as her “commitment to protect civil society as it comes under threat in Georgia.”
The letter speaks of the U.S.-Georgia partnership and decades of U.S. support for Georgia’s democracy and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. It emphasizes that the U.S. has been a “steadfast” supporter of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity since 2008, adding: “We fought shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan, and the United States is the largest supplier of foreign assistance to Georgia to help build critical infrastructure, strengthen democratic institutions, and modernize your military forces.”
“The Georgian people have been clear that they want a future in the European Union and NATO,” the VP Harris wrote, adding that Georgians recognize that the foreign agents’ law jeopardizes that future, “which is why they have strongly opposed it.” The letter adds: “They have every right to pursue that future, and force must not be used to prevent peaceful assembly and the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”
“We appreciate your leadership and efforts to protect civil society in Georgia. These efforts will continue to be essential as the Georgian people look to you to defend democracy and champion Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future. The United States stands with you and all Georgians in pursuit of a better future,” the letter concludes.
Also Read:
- 24/05/2024 – Assistant Secretary O’Brien: Agents’ Law, GD Rhetoric Inconsistent with Georgia’s EU-NATO Aspirations
- 24/05/2024 – Georgian People’s Act Envisaging Sanctions and Review of US-Georgia Relations Introduced in U.S. Senate
- 24/05/2024 – BREAKING: US Announces Visa Restrictions and Review of All US-Georgia Cooperation
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