Heritage Foundation: top 5 Priorities for US-Georgian Relationship in 2020
The Heritage Foundation’s report forecasts a ‘challenging 2020’ for Georgia. Photo: US Embassy press office.
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The US Heritage Foundation has released its report by fellow researcher Alexis Mrachek on the top priorities in the US Georgia relations this year, stating that it will be ‘an important year’ for the relations.
The report reads that after 2019 street protests in Tbilisi, the 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia ‘will likely be tumultuous.’
Other matters for 2020 include the fate of the Anaklia port project, a US-Georgia free trade agreement (FTA), and Georgia’s NATO aspirations. In order to advance the US-Georgian relationship in 2020, the US should support free and fair parliamentary elections, push for a free trade agreement with Georgia, support Georgia’s NATO aspirations, strengthen the bilateral defense relationship, and prod Georgia to find a new investor for the Anaklia port project.”
Ambassador Degnan's arrival in Tbilisi this week reminds us why #Georgia is so important to the U.S. So, here are the top five priorities for the U.S.????????-Georgian???????? relationship in 2020: https://t.co/1RPkW4UPHn via @Heritage
— Alexis Mrachek (@AlexisMrachek) January 31, 2020
Mrachek says that Georgia will be faced with ‘multiple challenges this year,’ stating that the fate of the October parliamentary elections and the Anaklia Port project are uncertain.
By Heritage Foundation.
However, they could be successful if the US encourages Georgia onto the right path. Fortunately, the bilateral defense relationship, Georgia’s future NATO membership, and the possibility of a US-Georgia free trade agreement are already making progress. The United States should continue strengthening its relationship with Georgia by making these five issues a top priority in 2020."
See the full report here.