The new PM of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has held his first official meeting with acting US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker in Tbilisi earlier today, stating that the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration and further strengthening of relations with the US are the major goals of the new cabinet.
Strengthening security and economic ties were on top of the agenda of the meeting, the government of Georgia press office reports.
The situation in the region and in the two Russian-occupied territories of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali were also discussed.
While in Georgia Reeker visited the occupation line. Photo: government's press office.
Reeker expressed deep concern regarding the situation in the occupied regions and urged Russia to withdraw its forces from the Georgian territory,” the press office stated.
Reeker, who attended the Tbilisi International Conference Now What? on September 9-10, visited the occupation line on September 8.
@StateDept Phil Reeker's remarks to media at the administrative boundary line near village Odzisi, #Georgia. pic.twitter.com/cr2RtCpDuR
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) September 10, 2019
Standing near the village of Odzisi, Reeker called for an ‘immediate halt’ to the construction of any structures, fencing, or barriers intended to strengthen the illegal borderisation on Georgian territory, the US Embassy to Georgia reported.