The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Georgia Support Act (GSA) in a broad bipartisan fashion, highlighting the significance of the U.S.-Georgia bilateral partnership in a time of heightened concerns in the Black Sea and beyond.
The GSA, the first stand-alone legislation in support of Georgia, supports Georgian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Furthermore, the Act recognizes Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic and European aspirations and the right of the Georgian people to freely determine their own future without interference, intimidation, or coercion by other countries.
The GSA increases defense and security cooperation between the United States and Georgia and instructs the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a report on Georgia’s defense capabilities to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Furthermore, the Act calls for a five-year strategy to enhance Georgia’s deterrence, resilience, and self-defense capabilities.
The bipartisan bill condemns the ongoing detentions, kidnappings, and other human rights violations committed in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, including the recent killings of Georgian citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, Davit Basharuli, and others. The Act further calls for sanctions on those complicit in or responsible for human rights abuses.
Additionally, the legislation urges Russia to fully implement the 2008 European Union-mediated ceasefire agreement, while also supports the establishment of international security mechanisms in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region and the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in the effort to peacefully resolve the long-running conflict.
In her visit to Washington, President Zourabichvili lauded the achievement of U.S.-Georgia cooperation and expressed her gratitude to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The President noted that the Act reaffirms U.S. support for Georgia and highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries.