US State Department Spokesperson says review of relationship with Georgia includes potential sanctions, visa restrictions

Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, on Wednesday said the US Government’s review of its relationship with Georgia in response to adoption of the controversial law on transparency of foreign influence included potential sanctions and visa restrictions.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month announced a new visa restriction policy for “those responsible for undermining democracy” in Georgia, including in connection with the law adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party, as well as a comprehensive review of the cooperation between the two countries.

We announced a review less than two weeks ago of our relationship given the law that Georgia has passed. It’s because there are actual serious policy ramifications here, not just rhetoric. It is about the amount of assistance that we provide to Georgia, some $390 million that was budgeted over the past few years, that is under review”, Miller said.

“It is about potential sanctions, visa restrictions that we announced as a policy less than two weeks ago, that we are studying right now whether and how and when to implement”, the official noted.

Miller on Monday said his Government had not yet announced individual sanctions against officials of the executive and legislative branches of the Georgian Government.

The recently adopted law requires registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in Georgia as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.