US National Defence Authorisation “clearly reflects important role” of Georgia - researcher

The approval of the United States National Defence Authorisation Act, which includes provisions in support of Georgia, by the House of Representatives “clearly reflects” the “most important role” of the country in the foreign and security political agenda of the US and is adapted to “challenges that we are facing today", Nikoloz Khatiashvili, a foreign policy researcher of the Geocase analytical centre, said on Friday.

Khatiashvili noted the bill for the Act - approved on Wednesday - was a “clear expression” of the strategic partnership between Georgia and the US, and of strong bipartisan support from the latter, Geocase said.

The researcher also believed the bill set out records that reflect Georgia’'s “central role” in the US foreign and security policy agenda and was tailored to “meet the challenges Georgia faces today”.

He emphasised specific records of the Act, in addition to the “main directions” of previous years, included “new points” that focused on new threats and geopolitical reality in the Black Sea region.

Khatiashvili also added that in the context of the Black Sea region, the Black Sea Security Act initiated on July 14 by senators Jeanne Shaheen and Mitt Romney obliged the US executive to develop a strategy for the region, adding “a lot of attention” was paid to the country and threats originating from Russia in the Act.