US Congressman Kinzinger says Congress never discussed imposing sanctions on Georgia

US Congressman Adam Kinzinger says the US Congress has never discussed imposing sanctions on Georgia, responding to speculations on the Georgia section of the US Fiscal Year 2021 State and Foreign Operations Funding bill, released by the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on July 6.

• Notes added to the US House of Representatives subcommittee bill on financial aid for Georgia

The bill reads that Georgia should receive “not less than USD 132,025,000 financial assistance.”

However, it also stipulates that 15 per cent of the funds may be withheld until the US Secretary of State determines and reports that the Georgian government is taking effective steps to strengthen democratic institutions, combat corruption and ensure that the rule of law in the private sector is consistent with international, recognised standards.

Kinzinger told Imedi TV that the addition of the section regarding the possible withholding of 15 per cent of the financial aid ‘is [a stipulation that is] not rare  in such documents and I do not expect this to happen to Georgia.’

He says that the note generally concerns the right of the American people to know how and why their money is spent for foreign states. 

I know that political parties in Georgia are trying to use the note for their own political interests. Georgia and the US have a strong partnership which will continue in the future. The note (on the possible withholding of a portion of funds) is not a sanction. For instance, if the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo negatively assessed the situation in Georgia and called for the suspension of funding, this would be a sanction. Congress has never discussed imposing sanctions on Georgia,” Kinzinger said. 

• US House of Representatives financial assistance for Georgia bill proposal causes divide among ruling party, opposition

Georgian FM Zalkaliani says that the US-Georgia relations are at an all-time high. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.

Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that Kinzinger's statement put an end to the opposition’s speculations regarding the bill.

• Georgian PM on US House of Representatives’ subcommittee bill: we listen, respect, continue progress

He said that through making negative statements on the bill the opposition was trying to make the US get involved in internal political issues ahead of the October parliamentary elections.

Zalkaliani stated that the notes about Georgia in the recently adopted US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 by the House of Representatives ‘reconfirm the close and strong partnership’ between Georgia and the US.