US Secretary of State Pompeo to meet Georgian civil society in addition to state officials
The US Secretary of State has started his foreign trips from France earlier this week. He will be also visiting Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Pkoto: Secretary Pompeo/Twitter
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will be travelling to Georgia on November 17-18, will hold meetings with representatives of Georgia’s ‘vibrant civil society’ along with senior government officials.
During the meeting with the civil society organisations Pompeo aims to hear their views on ‘the rule of law, on judicial independence, and an independent judiciary as part of the integral process, free adjudication of processes in the Georgian democracy, and respect for human and economic rights”.
A senior State Department official announced yesterday that the US is ‘committed to helping Georgia deepen its Euro-Atlantic ties and strengthen its democratic institutions and processes’.
The senior official also noted that ‘free and fair electoral processes are critical for democracy in Georgia and the people of Georgia are actively participating in that process’.
We’ll of course use this as an opportunity to reaffirm our support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders", the statement reads.
And once again, I would unequivocally note that we condemn Russia’s invasion in 2008 of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which still remain occupied by Russia”, it then notes.
Secretary Pompeo, who is visiting a number of countries throughout the week, has tweeted ahead of his trip:
Heading back on the road. Looking forward to engaging with my counterparts on a number of issues, from promoting religious freedom to countering terrorism and Iran’s destabilizing behavior. First stop: Paris. pic.twitter.com/XYcQKuyKkq
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 14, 2020
Mike Pompeo will arrive to Georgia from Turkey. In Tbilisi he will meet with President Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, 'to express our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, to urge further progress in democratic reforms'.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition politicians have held a second round of negotiations at the United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan’s residence earlier today. The parties have agreed not to reveal the details of the meeting.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili welcomes the upcoming visit of the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week. Zurabishvili wrote on Twitter that the support from the US as ‘a strategic partner’ is important for the ‘democratic development and for peace and stability in the region’.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Georgia on November 17-18, the Georgian Foreign Ministry stated earlier today. The ministry says that the visit ‘once again points to the firmness of the US-Georgia strategic partnership and reaffirms the commitment of the two countries to further strengthen ties.’ The ministry stated that meetings with top Georgian officials will focus on the priorities under the United States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership.
Opposition parties and their supporters have again gathered in front of the parliament of Georgia in central Tbilisi to protest the results of the recent parliamentary elections. The United National Movement (UNM) leader Nika Melia claimed in his public address that the opposition remains strongly united and no one, including the ‘special services of the regime’, will be able to harm their unity.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says it will not consider holding repeat parliamentary elections, Tbilisi Mayor and the ruling party secretary general Kakha Kaladze has announced in response to the opposition's demand.
Forty-five representatives of the Georgian security and foreign policy community have requested a permanent presence of American armed forces in Georgia in an open letter to the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, who will visit Georgia later today. The letter says that such a policy may include allied (US/European) forces on a rotational basis, as well as logistical and air patrol elements that would provide a wide range of options for American and allied forces ‘to operate uninterrupted’ in the South Caucasus and Black Sea regions.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that the visit of US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Georgia later today ‘once again points to the firmness of the US-Georgia strategic partnership and reaffirms the commitment of the two countries to strengthen their cooperation.’ The ministry stated earlier today that the visit is yet more evidence that the United States ‘remains strongly committed to supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’, as well as the country’s ‘continuous democratic development and European and Euro-Atlantic integration’.
"Thrilled to be in Tbilisi", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter after arriving in Georgia earlier today. "The United States and Georgia have a strong relationship built upon our shared commitment to freedom and independence. We are committed to helping Georgia deepen its Euro-Atlantic ties and strengthen its democratic institutions", he stated.
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo has met with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in Tbilisi earlier today, where he reaffirmed US commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and commended the country for its ‘significant contributions’ to the fight against global terrorism, the US Embassy to Georgia has reported. The meeting took place in the Orbeliani presidential palace in central Tbilisi.