Georgia – highest strategic importance for the US
During his visit to Georgia on October 26, National Security Advisor of the U.S. President John Bolton met with the country’s leadership, discussing the U.S.-Georgia bilateral relationship and the situation in the region. “I had the opportunity to visit Georgia for the first time and thank you very much for this opportunity. During the meetings, we discussed a series of issues related to the situation in the region and the bilateral relations between Georgia and the United States of America. On my part, I pointed out how important the relations with Georgia are for us. Georgia is of the highest strategic importance for the United States.”
John Bolton stated, that U.S. has been a strong supporter of Georgia’s independence and territorial integrity since the initial days of regained independence, and that their position has not changed throughout this entire period. That is why the U.S. quickly responded to Russian military aggression in 2008. “A range of sanctions have been imposed against Russia and part of them came after the Russia-Georgia war,” Bolton said at the press-conference.
The National Security Advisor also reiterated the U.S. support for Georgia’s NATO aspirations. According to Bolton, he discussed ways to enhance bilateral military relationship with the Georgian officials.
Ambassador Bolton also noted his meeting with the representatives of the US-Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and discussion on opportunities to increase American trade and investment. “Almost everybody I spoke with talked about Georgia’s desire to have a free trade agreement with United States,” Bolton said, noting that that’s “certainly something worth looking into.”
Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stated that during the meeting with John Bolton, the sides discussed all aspects of partnership, building on the initial discussions held in DC in September, during his visit to the U.S. He said: “During the Presidency of Donald Trump, the U.S. and Government of Georgia have advanced to a new level of relationship. It is all time high and what is most important — it is all-inclusive. With Mr. Bolton we discussed all those topics that were initiated during my visit to Washington D.C. We touched upon the most pressing issues for Georgia, including the humanitarian disaster in the occupied territories and the peace-keeping initiatives that will help us in overcoming these challenges. At the same time, we talked about the potential introduction of a Free Trade regime between the U.S. and Georgia, which will advance the bilateral relations to a principally new level of development. We discussed the regional context and security architecture to address the challenges that Georgia faces. John Bolton is a loyal friend of Georgia. He has a clear vision on how to make our relations furthermore strategic, with a greater focus on specific outcomes and outputs. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to him for this very vital support”, stated the Prime Minister of Georgia.
John Bolton visited Georgia as part of his diplomatic tour to Russia and the countries of the South Caucasus.
More: Press conference transcript
More: Bolton: U.S. Took Necessary Sanctions Against Russia Over 2008 War In Georgia