Mike Pompeo arrives in Tbilisi

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Wednesday, November 18

US Secretary of State arrived in Tbilisi from Turkey. According to him, one of the main topics of conversation at the meetings in Istanbul was religious freedom.

The Georgian MFA stated yesterday that the visit of US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Georgia 'once again points to the firmness of the US-Georgia strategic partnership and reaffirms the commitment of the two countries to strengthen their cooperation.'

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Georgia on 17 November. Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani, Georgian Ambassador to the United States Davit Bakradze, and US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan welcomed Pompeo at the airport.

Within the framework of the visit, tomorrow the US Secretary of State will hold meetings with the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Zalkaliani. During the visit, Mike Pompeo will meet with the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II. Pompeo will also hold a meeting with representatives of Georgian civil society.

The US Embassy in Georgia has released a statement regarding the visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Georgia.

“We are happy to welcome Secretary Pompeo in the beautiful city of Tbilisi. The Secretary of State is here to reaffirm the United States' strong support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as our commitment to our common values, freedom, and democracy.

“Secretary Pompeo will review the efforts needed to strengthen Georgia's democratic institutions and emphasize the importance of free and fair elections,” the US Embassy said in a statement.

After arriving in the capital of Georgia, Pompeo tweeted: “Thrilled to be in Tbilisi. The United States and Georgia have a strong relationship built upon our shared commitment to freedom and independence. We are committed to helping Georgia deepen its Euro-Atlantic ties and strengthen its democratic institutions.”

Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani answered a journalist's question about whether the request of Georgian experts and ex-top officials for a permanent presence of the US army in Georgia will be part of the conversation with Pompeo. According to Zalkaliani, there is a constant discussion about issues related to strengthening Georgia with the help of Americans.

"Cooperation with the United States in the field of defense and security is very important and valuable for us, otherwise, we will not be able to cope with the security challenges that the country faces today. This is indicated by the concrete results we have. I am sure that we will have tangible results in this direction in the future as well."