US Congress approves defense bill including collaboration with Georgia
The bill will come into force after it is signed by US President Donald Trump. Photo: visitthecapitol.gov.
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The US Congress has approved its defense spending bill for 2020 to the amount of $738 billion, which includes significant cooperation with Georgia.
The bill was approved by Congress on December 11, and states that Georgia’s involvement in the partnership for peace is very important to relations with the US and NATO to create a more peaceful environment in the region.
The National Defense Authorization Act also reads that Georgia is a valued friend of the US and has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to advancing the mutual interests of both countries, including the deployment of Georgian forces as part of the former International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the current Resolute Support Mission led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Afghanistan and the Multi-National Force in Iraq.
US support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally-recognized borders and does not recognise the independence of Abkhazia or South Ossetia regions currently occupied by the Russian Federation”, reads the bill.
The National Defense Authorization Act will come into force after it is signed by US President Donald Trump.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, who served as the commanding general of the United States Army Europe, says that Georgia has left nothing to prove and NATO should invite the country to membership during its next summit, Hodges told Voice of America in an interview.
The United States President Donald Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan said if confirmed, she would “build on the productive partnership” that US and Georgia have developed so far.
Georgian soldiers are officially engaged in the Resolute Support (RS) mission in Afghanistan.
The progress of the international mission in Afghanistan and post-International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations were the main topics discussed between Georgian and Afghan Defence Ministers in Brussels today.
The US Senate has approved Kelly Degnan as the new ambassador of the US to Georgia, the diplomat who has 25 years of diplomatic experience and is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award. The US President Donald Trump presented Californian Degnan for the role in September 2019. Before the nomination to the post Degnan served as the political advisor to the Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe – United States Naval Forces Africa.
The United States has allocated $132 million to Georgia as financial aid, which is the largest amount in the US-Georgia relations, as the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has met with acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elisabeth Rood earlier today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the current tension in the Middle East and stated that there is no alternative to peaceful negotiations and active diplomacy. “Any tension may cause huge problems both for security and economy,” Gakharia stated earlier today. He said that since the beginning of the tension between the US and Iran, Georgia has been in “close contact with international partners and we are closely observing the situation together.”
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has welcomed the "deepening cooperation" between Georgia and the United States, underlined by the latest US Defense Authorization Act.