US Congressman Mullin concerned about ‘deteriorating economic climate’ for FDI in Georgia
In his letter Markwayne Mullin shared his "increasing concern regarding Georgia's continued decline from democratic values and the associated decay of its economic prosperity". Photo: Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press
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United States Congressman Markwayne Mullin, who is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, has sent a letter to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia with concerns about the "deteriorating economic climate" for foreign direct investment (FDI), in particular for US energy companies in the country.
As a Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I sent this letter to the Georgian PM with concerns about the deteriorating economic climate for foreign direct investment, in particular for US energy companies. Economic Prosperity = Freedom! @TvMtavari @TVSGEORGIA pic.twitter.com/HZ0dSTjbAH
— Markwayne Mullin (@RepMullin) January 16, 2020
In his letter to Gakharia, Mullin shared his "increasing concern regarding Georgia's continued decline from democratic values and the associated decay of its economic prosperity" as well.
With this in mind, I join my colleagues in Congress, who represent the Georgia Caucus, Chairman Adam Kinzinger and Chairman Gerry Connoly, in their recent letter to you of December 13, 2019 that highlighted concern over the decision to forego promised democratic reforms, as well as reports of violence against associated peaceful protests", Congressman Mullin addressed PM Gakharia.
Mullin said, despite Georgia's progress since declaring its independence in 1991, "recent years have revealed a continuous negative trend in democratic and free market economic indicators" that has not gone unnoticed in the US. He also believes that FDI in Georgia "is on the decline" because US and European business interests "have been subjected to harassment and expropriation attack".
The US Congressman further noted that "this deteriorating environment" has resulted in both the House and Senate passing and the US President Donald Trump's signing into law, two consecutive annual appropriation bills for 2019 and 2020 "that have addressed concerns regarding the Georgian government's progressively antagonistic actions against the values, free-market principles and American business interests".
For the first time in Georgia's modern history, your country has been cast in a negative and cautionary light with respect to appropriations from the US government", Congressman Mullin said.
Hoping that Georgia will continue to be "a strategic partner" of the US "for many years to come", Mullin also hoped that the Georgian government "will halt aggressive actions against US companies and act quickly on the increasing warning signs that represent a threat to the democracy and economic prosperity that the Georgian people deserve so much".