PM Garibashvili meets US Vice President and Senators

The world’s youngest Prime Minister, Georgia’s Irakli Garibashvili, is rubbing shoulders with some of the most influential world officials on his official visit to the United States.

Prime Minister Garibashvili and other members of the Georgian delegation have met the US Vice President Joe Biden and US Senators.

US President Barack Obama also made a surprise visit during another bi-lateral meeting.

At the gathering with Vice President Biden, Garibashvili spoke about the renewed process of installing barbed wire fences along the occupation lines at Tskhinvali and Abkhazia - breakaway regions of Georgia.

He said the Georgian Government valued that the US Government condemned installation of the fences by the Russian forces, and expressed his hope that US support would continue in the future.

PM Garibashvili said the USA-Georgia relationship was "vitally important”, particularly with the upcoming elections, signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, and NATO summit, and he asked Biden to continue to support improvement of the bi-lateral relationship.

In addition to this, Georgia’s Prime Minister also spoke about Georgia’s economic and trade relations with the US and said Georgia was expecting "firm steps” to be taken towards signing the free trade agreement with the USA.

The PM clearly underlined Georgia’s democratic development and said the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic desires would never waver.

Biden invited Garibashvili and the Georgian delegation to American about two months ago. At the meeting, Garibashvili returned the favour and invited Biden to Georgia, saying the Vice President’s visit would help demonstrate the USA’s support to the country and underline the importance of keeping stability in the region. 

Before meeting the US Vice President, Prime Minister Garibashvili met with US Senators, which included Republican Senator Roy Blunt, and the pair discussed ways to strengthen relations with the US.

Senator Blunt was one of the Senators who signed a letter directed to US Secretary of State John Kerry, which asked to support Georgia at the 2014 NATO Summit in order for the country to be offered a Membership Action Plan.

Senator Blunt was interested in the current borderization process alongside the breakaway regions, and said he was ready to help Georgia and do his best. He accepted Prime Minister Garibashvili’s invitation to visit Georgia.

The country’s national strategy and action plan on human rights were the main topics discussed at the Georgian delegation’s meeting with Democrat Senator Dick Durbin.

Prime Minister Garibashvili provided a detailed explanation on what the reform envisaged and highlighted protection of human rights was a main priority of the Georgian Government. 

He also spoke about the upcoming local self-government elections, after Senator Durbin said he was interested in the self-governance reform in Georgia.

The meeting with US Senators was attended by the Georgian delegation including Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze, State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alexi Petriashvili and Georgian Ambassador to the US Archil Gegeshidze. Also in attendance was the Foreign Affairs Department adviser of the Georgian Government’s Chancellery and the deputy head of the Georgian Government’s Chancellery Nino Kobakhidze.