US House of Representatives passes bill allocating $132 mln in aid to Georgia
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkalani has stated that the bill reaffirms the US’s ‘strong support’ for Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The US House of Representatives has passed a bill on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPs) for 2022 which allocates 132 million USD in financial aid for Georgia and expresses ‘strong support’ for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated.
The bill says that no country will receive financial assistance from the US if they recognise the independence of Georgia’s two Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
The bill says that within the Countering Russia Influence Fund, $305 million will be allocated in total for countries in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including for Georgia, to develop law enforcement and security capabilities and to come closer to the US and NATO.
Part of the funds will go towards ensuring the implementation of the EU Association Agreements and trade agreements and the reduction of political and economic pressure from Russia.
The bill sets 132,025,000 USD as the minimum amount for Georgia to receive.
The bill cites Georgia as the US’ ‘critical partner and an ally.’
It needs to be approved by the Senate and the president’s signature to come to play.
United States Senators Jim Risch, Ron Johnson and Jeanne Shaheen have introduced a bipartisan resolution in support of the full implementation of Georgia’s April 19 agreement to end the political impasse in the country.
The US government has announced a rapid response grant programme for Georgian civil society organisations, civic movements and citizen groups to help the country respond to challenges caused by COVID-19 virus in a timely manner.
US President Donald Trump has signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 which includes $132,025,000 in financial aid for Georgia.
United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said the United States would like to see Georgia’s constitutional amendments ‘accepted, adopted by a full parliament’ so that Georgia can have ‘a truly successful achievement and fulfilment' of the March 8 election agreement.
The United States Department of State's 2021 Country Report on Terrorism on Tuesday said Georgia had continued its “robust engagement” on counterterrorism issues throughout that year and remained a “strong” security partner for the United States.