PM phones with Secretary Pompeo
By Khatia Bzhalava
Wednesday, July 29
Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia and the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo talked over the phone and as the press service of the government’s administration informs, they discussed the basic matters of a strategic partnership between two countries. The conversation was held with regard to postponement of a plenary session of Georgia-US strategic partnership charter, which would be held under the guidance of PM Gakharia and Secretary Pompeo, in Washington. The reason for the postponement was COVID-19 pandemic and the sides expressed hopes the plenary session would be held till the end of the year.
Press service of the government’s administration shared an official statement, which read that the sides discussed common challenges of the global pandemic as well as the dynamic of two countries’ strategic partnership development.
The statement notes that the PM once again thanked the US for strengthening the Georgian Healthcare system for years, including the creation of the Lugar Research Center and for the support during the pandemic. Gakharia also stressed the US’s multilateral assistance, which is a basis of the two countries’ firm strategic partnership.
According to the statement, the PM highlighted Pompeo’s personal support in the direction of Georgia’s safety and democratic development and noted that he would gladly host Secretary Pompeo on an official visit to Georgia.
The statement reads that the PM discussed the biggest challenge of the country with Secretary Pompeo, which is the occupation of Georgian land and severe conditions on the occupied territories. The PM provided the State Secretary with detailed information on Russia’s continuous aggressive actions, despite the COVID infection, in particular, the facts of kidnapping and arresting ethnical Georgians.
The US State Secretary once again confirmed the US’s firm support towards Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial unity. He stated on his official Twitter page that “We will always support Georgia’s sovereignty in the face of Russian occupation.”
The statement of the press service states the process of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration to have been discussed during the telephone conversation. PM highlighted that Georgia is a reliable partner of the USA, NATO and EU in the region of the Black Sea. Intensification of the partnership between the US and Georgia in economical direction was also talked about.
During the telephone conversation, the State Secretary of the US stressed the participation of Georgian soldiers in NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and highlighted their exceptional professionalism.
As Secretary Pompeo mentioned in his official twitter statement, the sides also spoke on the importance of holding free, fair and transparent elections in Georgia this October.
The PM mentioned during that the government has taken into consideration the important parts of OSCE’s electoral recommendations. Gakharia highlighted the role of Ambassador Kelly Degnan’s involvement in the improvement of the electoral process and noted that the diplomat has been making a very significant contribution in strengthening strategic partnerships and bilateral relationships between the US and Georgia.
