FM: none of the 270 US companies in Georgia have ever been oppressed

"The idea of American business being oppressed in Georgia is not true”, said Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani in response to the letter of US congressman Markwayne Mullin sent to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, where he expressed his concern about the US business interests in Georgia being ‘subjected to harassment and expropriation attack’ naming oil and gas company Frontera Resources from Houston, Texas.

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There are more than 270 US companies registered in Georgia and there are no such claims by any company”, said Zalkaliani.

Zalkaliani noted that the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce will discuss the issue of Frontera Resources adding that speculations are not acceptable.

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There are negotiations between Georgia and the US to increase economic cooperation up to the level in which we are cooperating in defence and safety. There are talks about a free trade agreement,” said Zalkaliani.

He also noted that there are no talks about any sanctions [by the US] and everything will be done for the Georgian-US strategic partnership not to come under threat.

• The government of Georgia and American company Frontera have sued each other for “violating contract conditions,” which are confidential. 
• Frontera says that it has suffered $3.5 billion in damage in Georgia. 
• Frontera, which was founded in the US in 1996, entered Georgia in 1997 and founded Frontera Eastern Georgia. 
• The Georgian OIl and Gas Corporation owns 50 per cent of Frontera Eastern Georgia. 

Georgian Foreign Minister Zalkaliani is in Germany where he is taking part in the the 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC) between  February 14-16.