U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated U.S. concerns about Georgia’s election process on October 23. He spoke about Georgia while answering Globalnew.ge‘s question at the Brookings Institution in Washington, where Sullivan delivered a speech on President Biden’s international economic strategy and vision.
“We’ve made our concerns very clear about the trajectory of democratic institutions and the electoral process in Georgia, and we remain very concerned about it. Ultimately, the future of Georgia should be up to the Georgian people to decide in a free and fair process. I don’t think anyone in Georgia wants to mortgage their country to any other country, including the PRC,” – Jake Sullivan said.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze responded to Sullivan’s statement by saying that Georgia has a 3,000-year history in which no one has “not only dared to mortgage Georgia, but even to use such terminology.”
Kobakhidze said that after the elections and the war in Ukraine, relations with the U.S. will be reset, and “no one will dare to tell Georgia that it must go into the forest like a partisan and fight for global interests from there.”
On May 23, Secretary of State Blinken announced a visa restriction policy for undermining democracy in Georgia and as well a comprehensive review of all US-Georgia cooperation. Restrictions target individuals responsible for suppressing civil society and freedom of peaceful assembly in Georgia through violence or intimidation.
Later on July 5, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the indefinite postponement of the Noble Partner exercise in Georgia scheduled for July 25-August 6 this year. According to the statement, the decision was made after the U.S. initiated a comprehensive review of U.S.-Georgia bilateral relations.
On September 16 U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned two Georgian officials- Head of MIA’s Special Task Department Zviad Kharazishvili (Khareba) and his deputy Mileri Lagazauri as well as two others- Konstantine Morgoshia and Zurab Makharadze, both radical right-wing figures associated with the violent Alt-info movement, for “serious human rights abuses” for their role in brutal crackdowns on anti-foreign agent protesters” and for “violent attacks on Georgians exercising their freedom of peaceful assembly.” The U.S. State Department also imposed visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgian individuals and their family members “responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia.”
The State Department said it is also taking additional steps to impose visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgian individuals and their family members responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia. The press release says that these individuals include “senior government and municipal figures who abused their power to restrict the fundamental freedoms of the Georgian people, business leaders involved in corrupt practices, persons who have spread disinformation and promoted violent extremism, members of law enforcement who were involved in the beating of protesters, and members of parliament who played a critical role in advancing undemocratic legislation and restricting civil society.”
State Secretary Blinken notes that the U.S. remains concerned about human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions in Georgia, and will continue to consider additional actions in response. “The United States unequivocally supports the rights of Georgians to assemble, speak, and peacefully protest without fear of violence, intimidation, or suppression,” states the statement of State Secretary Blinken.
