US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Director visits Georgia
In all of his meetings, Chris Socha reiterated the United States’ commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity and its Euro-Atlantic integration. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Tweet 
Share
The United States Embassy has reported that the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Director Chris Socha visited Georgia to discuss the current political environment in the country.
Statement by .@SenateForeign about Staff Director Chris Socha's meeting with Georgian officials in Tbilisi.https://t.co/2gG2Mm7PAE
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) February 19, 2020
Socha held meetings with Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and other government officials, political party leaders, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze and other MPs, as well as representatives of civil society and international non-governmental organisation, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee said.
In all of his meetings, Mr. Socha reiterated the United States’ commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity and its Euro-Atlantic integration. He specifically raised the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia under Russia's illegal occupation”, the Committee stated.
It further noted that Socha discussed "concerns about a weakening of Georgian democracy and governance" as well.
He also carried "a clear message" from the chairman of the committee, Senator Jim Risch that the US supports Georgia's democratic development.
But the institutions of government must respect everyone's political rights and continue to strengthen the checks and balances that ensure government power is properly constrained”, the Committee cited Socha.
Senator Jim Risch was one of those US legislators, who sent letters to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, expressing concern over "recent events that indicate a backsliding from Georgia’s commitment to build the institutions of their democracy".