Georgian Foreign Minister in US on official state visit

Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze has scheduled meetings with the newly elected US President Donald Trump’s administration.

The United States-Georgia Charter on the Strategic Partnership will be among the top issues Minister Janelidze will discuss with US officials as well as Senators and Congressmen on February 9-10.

Within his two-day working visit to the US, Minister Janelidze will meet with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate, is the President's chief foreign affairs adviser who carries out the President's foreign policies through the State Department including the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Based on the Charter on Strategic Partnership, the United States of America and Georgia affirm the importance of their relationship "as friends and strategic partners”.

We intend to deepen our partnership to the benefit of both nations and expand our cooperation across a broad spectrum of mutual priorities”, the preamble of the Charter reads.

It also emphasises that cooperation between the two democracies is based on "shared values and common interests”, including expanding democracy and economic freedom, protecting security and territorial integrity, strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the right of dignified, secure and voluntary return of all internally displaced persons and refugees, supporting innovation and technological advances and bolstering Eurasian energy security.

Georgia's Foreign Minister has recently returned from France where he also held high-level meetings with high-ranking French officials including the French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir and the National Assembly’s Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Elisabeth Guigou.

Before wrapping up his visit, Janelidze also delivered a speech at the National Assembly of France.