US Congressman: Georgia Support Act reaffirms, strengthens US-Georgia partnership
US congressman Brendan Boyle said passing the Georgia Support Act shows the US' support for Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Photo: Brendan Boyle's Facebook page
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US congressman Brendan Boyle said he supported the Georgia Support Act in the House of Representatives “to reaffirm and strengthen the US-Georgia partnership”.
Congressman Boyle also said that passing the Georgia Support Act shows the US’ support for Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as for its democratic development, Euro-Atlantic integration and peaceful conflict resolution in two Russian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Many Georgian-Americans call Philadelphia their home and they make enormous contributions to our city in all fields, ranging from the arts to academics to entrepreneurship”, Boyle wrote on his official Facebook page yesterday, adding that he is “proud to represent them in Congress”.
The US House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Georgia Support Act on October 22. After the bill is also passed by the Senate, it will need to be signed by President Donald Trump in order to be officially enacted.
Rep. @GerryConnolly’s Georgia Support Act was just passed by the full House! This bill will help our friends in the Republic of Georgia defend themselves against Putin’s aggression.https://t.co/tgDn0LyLUN pic.twitter.com/GkDtMRqqA9
— House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) October 22, 2019
In his speech at the House of Representatives, Congressman Boyle called the US-Georgia partnership “vital” and their relationship - “strategically important” in “a critical part of the world”, urging his colleagues to also support the bill.
He then underscored that in 2008, Georgia was “invaded” by Russia and now the Kremlin “continues to attack: the country "through subversive disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks”.
Boyle said, this bill provides Georgia “with assistance to combat this threat and support its democratic institutions”.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that the bill supporting Georgia passed by the US House of Representatives yesterday is “unprecedented”in US-Georgia relations and in the history of independent Georgia.He stated that the US passed the bill at a time when the American political agenda “is too busy” with different issues.
US congressman Adam Kinzinger says that the passage of a bipartisan bill supporting Georgia in the US House of Representatives sends a “strong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to think twice before he decides to get involved in Georgia’s internal issues.”
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze have thanked the US House of Representatives for passing the Georgia Support Act with strong bipartisan support, with Gakharia saying that “it is the first standalone legislation related to Georgia dedicated to taking our partnership to the next level.”
The United States House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan Georgia Support Act, introduced by Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Gerry Connolly and co-sponsored by 31 other US legislators. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said the US is Georgia’s “closest strategic ally”, whereas the Georgia Support Act is “a landmark piece of legislation”.
The US Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Alex Mooney are visiting Georgia between November 5 and 9, and are scheduled to meet with the Georgian PM, parliament speaker, foreign minister and defence minister.
The state partnership programme fosters interoperability between the US and Georgia and promotes peace and security, the US Embassy to Georgia reports.US Major General Thomas Carden is in Tbilisi to attend the 25th anniversary of the state partnership programme “to commemorate the enduring relationship between the country of Georgia and the US state of Georgia,” the US Embassy said.
Field professionals from the United States will train Georgian firefighters to improve the capabilities of first responders and develop military-civilian cooperation and interagency coordination within the US-funded State Partnership Programme, Georgia’s Emergency Management Service announced on Friday.