U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo to visit Georgia on November 17-18

By Khatia Bzhalava

Thursday, November 12

“The Secretary’s last stop in Europe will be Tbilisi…to express our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, to urge further progress in democratic reforms.“

According to the official information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo will be visiting Georgia on November 17-18. As the ministry reports, during his visit, Pompeo will hold meetings with Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, President Salome Zurabishvili, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, and Catholics-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II.

The information reads that within the framework of the US secretary of state’s visit to Georgia, High-level meetings will focus on priority directions under the United States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership as well as on prospects for further strengthening the partnership between the two counties in the fields of defense and security, trade and economy, democracy, people-to-people contacts, education, and cultural exchanges. The parties will also discuss the ongoing economic and democratic reforms in Georgia as well as the security environment in Georgia and the wider region.

MFA states that the visit is proof that the United States remains committed to supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the country’s continuous democratic development and European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

During yesterday’s meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council, PM Gakharia commented on the visit of the US Secretary of State and stressed that “it is yet another demonstration of the importance and all-time high level of Georgia-US strategic partnership.” Gakharia noted that despite the COVID pandemic and all the other challenges the country is facing, “we must be fully focused on making ready for this visit.”

As the Minister of MFA David Zalkaliani stated at the briefing yesterday, he believes that the upcoming visit is a clear sign of political support from the US administration. The same opinion has been suggested by Mariam Kvrivishvili, a member of the Georgian Dream party, who announced that Pompeo’s visit emphasizes the support from the US for the ongoing democratic processes in Georgia.

The leader of an opposition party Girchi, Zurab Japardze, noted that it is important that Pompeo meets with opposition parties as well.