US Ambassador reiterates “absolute” support for “people of Georgia”

Robin Dunnigan, the United States' Ambassador to Georgia, on Thursday reiterated her Government and the American people’s “absolute” support for the “people of Georgia”.

In his remarks over bilateral relations, which have seen a deterioration since the adoption of a controversial Georgian law on transparency of foreign influence by the country’s Parliament late May, Dunnigan noted the US was “ready to restart” the relationship, and further pointed out “I hope we can get back on track, and the [Georgian] Government can take some important steps to help us do that”.

When asked about the US Secretary of State’s announcement of a pause of $95 million in financial assistance to the Georgian Government, Dunnigan noted “we have spoken many times with the Government of Georgia about some of the actions that we are extremely concerned about, some anti-democratic actions, such as the foreign influence law”.

“Secretary Blinken announced that as a result of that review, he is putting on hold, on pause, some portion of our assistance that goes directly to the government. Our assistance to students, and teachers, and farmers, and small business owners, and community activists, and civil society organisations that assistance will continue”, Dunnigan said.

She further added that assistance to the Georgian Defence Forces would also continue for the time being, but pointed out “as the Secretary has said, everything is under review”.