U.S. State Department to GD: You Cannot Win a Democratic Mandate by Censoring or Putting in Jail Your Opponents

The U.S. State Department said it continues to evaluate its approach to Georgia to advance American interests. “The United States has made clear the steps Georgia’s government can take to demonstrate it is serious about improving its relationship with the United States,” said the written response sent to the Georgian outlet GlobalNews.ge following a question posed by its correspondent during the press briefing of Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Tammy Bruce. The statement also called GD government actions “anti-democratic” and criticized it for censoring and imprisoning its opponents.

The question of what kind of communication the U.S. has with the ruling party in Georgia and what is the U.S. view of the current situation in Georgia in light of the arrests of peaceful demonstrators, the disputed elections, and an independent journalist currently in prison, was asked at the State Department’s press briefing a day earlier, but spokeswoman Bruce did not immediately respond to it, promising to provide an answer later.

The response from the U.S. State Department said: “Regarding continuing anti-democratic actions taken by the Georgian Dream government – as Vice President Vance said in Munich, you cannot win a democratic mandate by censoring your opponents or putting them in jail, nor can you win one by disregarding your basic electorate on questions like who gets to be a part of our shared society.”

The text goes on to say: “The United States has been a partner to Georgia and the Georgian people for 33 years, and a strong supporter of Georgia’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity throughout that time.”

The State Department’s response follows U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan’s March 14 meetings with GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and her April 1 meeting with Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili. These are the Ambassador’s first meetings with Georgian Dream officials after the disputed October 26 parliamentary elections and against the backdrop of deteriorating bilateral relations. During the meeting with the former, according to the US Embassy’s readout of the meeting, Ambassador Dunnigan “conveyed President Trump’s and Secretary Rubio’s top priorities and steps that Georgia can take to demonstrate its seriousness about improving its relations with the United States.”

As for the meeting with Davitashvili, according to the Ministry of Economy press-release, the two sides reviewed opportunities for joint work under the new U.S. administration, including in areas such as economy, trade, innovation, logistics, energy, and the development of the Middle Corridor.

Also Read:

• 02/04/2025 – U.S. Helsinki Commission Reprimands Georgian Dream for “Surrendering”Anaklia Port to Chinese Control

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)