US Ambassador: Georgia and the US jointly fight terrorism

The United States (US) Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly says Georgia and his country stand together in the global fight against terrorism. 

The American official commented yesterday following Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s allegations that a terrorism threat existed in Georgia’s eastern, Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge. 

Kelly stressed he "absolutely trusted” the words of Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikahsvili that no such threats came from the area. 

I can say that Georgia and the US are jointly opposing terrorism threats. We have listened to the statements made in Moscow. In response to the assertions I would repeat the Georgian PM’s words when he said that Georgia utterly controls the situation in the Gorge and the US unconditionally supports Georgia in this direction,” Kelly said. 

United States Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly (R) says no terrorism threat is coming from Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge. Photo by the United States' Embassy to Georgia. 

Two days ago during a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov said there were reports fighters from the radical Islamic group Islamic State (IS) trained in the Pankisi Gorge. 

PM Kvirikashvili immediately dismissed the speculations and said "no threats were coming from the Gorge”. 

The Georgian Government exerts full control of the area. Currently several dozen people from Pankisi are fighting with IS but there is strict control over their return and they will face prison if they come back,” the Georgian official said.

The same was repeated by Georgia’s Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli. She stressed there was "absolute peace in the Gorge with no sign of alleged unrest” and highlighted the Georgian Government fully controlled the situation in all parts of the country, including the Pankisi Gorge. 

The Pankisi Gorge is mainly inhabited by Kists; people who came from the North Caucasus Dagestan Republic, currently under Russian control.  

At present there are about 8,000 Kists in Pankisi Gorge who mainly live in Duisi, Jokolo, Birkiani, Jibakhevi, Tsalakhani and Omalo villages. 

Together with the Kists the Gorge is populated by ethnic Georgians from the mountainous regions.