US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made a comprehensive visit to Georgia last week, meeting with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani along with Catholic Patriarch Ilia II and civil society representatives.
Pompeo “reaffirmed the unwavering U.S. support for Georgia’s sovereignty in the face of Russian occupation” and praised Georgia for the progress the country has made “fighting corruption, developing modern state institutions, and enhancing security.”
For his part, Prime Minister Gakharia said that “US-Georgia relations have never been more dynamic and will continue to flourish.” He also praised the thorough range of issues he and Pompeo discussed, ranging from the strategic US-Georgia partnership, to the Euro-Atlantic agenda, democratic reforms in Georgia, and the vital need to maintain Georgia’s territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression.
“I can’t underscore enough the importance of this visit from our main strategic partner at a time when Georgia and the region face a precarious geopolitical situation,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani. “It is a fact that Georgia is the strongest partner to the US, its strongest foothold in the region.”
It is also important to note that the US Department of State went out of its way during Pompeo’s visit to validate the sanctity of the recent Parliamentary elections, and challenged the Georgian opposition parties to stop election-related rallies and take up their mandates.
Georgian opposition parties, who took to the street following the October 31 parliamentary elections, are demanding repeat elections. Acting Assistant Secretary Philip Reeker met with opposition leaders, conveying the position of the US government for the opposition to join Parliament and work within the system.