The Georgian people remain steadfast in their embrace of the West and its values — and strong rejection of Russian occupation of Georgian lands and meddling in the upcoming elections. That is why the Georgian Government is deeply committed to joining NATO and the EU, and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our global allies in the fight for freedom and against Russian aggression.
Active diplomacy and defense cooperation go hand-in-hand as essential components of Georgia’s arsenal of democracy. Georgian Ambassador to Washington, David Bakradze, has been vigilant underlining the continued threat posed by Russian expansionism and disinformation as well as the strength of Georgia’s allies in maintaining peace, stability and order in the region. Ambassador Bakradze singled out US cooperation as a cornerstone of the western alliance. In a recent opinion editorial, the Ambassador said, “Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted the Georgia Support Act, condemning Russia’s activities in the occupied territories and imposing sanctions on persons involved in human rights violations against Georgians. The Senate should now pass this legislation that will provide critical support for countering hybrid threats and building Georgia’s resilience.”
The Ambassador underscored, “Far from intimidating Georgia, Russia’s actions have united our desire and accelerated the tempo of Georgia’s march into NATO, the European Union and the American-led trans-Atlantic alliance.”
September also saw the arrival of American servicemen and women in Georgia to join their counterparts from Georgia, France, United Kingdom and Poland to participate in the ‘Noble Partner’ defense cooperation exercise of 2020. The international exercise is designed to aid further interoperability and readiness between the partner forces and will host over 2,700 troops at Vaziani Military Airfield and Camp Norio in eastern Georgia.