U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visits Tbilisi, Georgia en route to Warsaw NATO Summit
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, on July 6th, showing support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic membership aspirations right ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw.
“This is a beautiful and democratic country in a challenging neighborhood at a testing time. And so I arrive here with a message from President Obama… the United States firmly supports Georgia’s sovereignty, security, prosperity and its Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” John Kerry said in his official statement at the press conference.
Secretary Kerry held meetings with the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Chairman of the Parliament David Usupashvili, other governmental officials, as well as the leaders of political opposition. Young Georgian entrepreneurs accompanied the Secretary strolling the old town of Tbilisi.
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili together with the United States Secretary of State John Kerry co-chaired the plenary meeting of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission and signed the Memorandum on Deepening the Defense and Security Partnership Between the United States of America and Georgia.
Secretary Kerry congratulated Georgia on its demonstrated democratic progress over the last 25 years of independence and applauded the Georgian government’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections. “We respect the reforms that you have been instituting, the efforts you are making to make sure your election is as fair and accountable and transparent as possible,” he said.
“The visit of the US State Secretary to Georgia is yet another clear demonstration of the active top-level strategic cooperation and partnership between the two countries,” said Prime Minister Kvirikashvili.