Interior Minister Meets With Newly Appointed US Ambassador to Georgia

Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri held his first official meeting with the newly appointed US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan.

At the meeting, the Minister and Ambassador discussed the possibilities of deepening the successful cooperation between the two countries. Vakhtang Gomelauri stressed the importance of continuing fruitful cooperation in the fields of crime prevention and border protection.

The parties also discussed ongoing projects within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which are being implemented with the direct involvement and support of the United States. Gomelauri thanked the US Government for the help and support provided in various fields over the years.

“I would like to congratulate the new US Ambassador to Georgia, who arrived in Tbilisi a few days ago, on her appointment and wish her success. During the meeting, we talked about several important issues, including the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the reforms we are implementing and our future plans. In addition, we discussed our partnership with US offices to deepen our cooperation.

"We touched upon painful issues for Georgia, such as territorial integrity, lost territories, the situation on the occupied territories, as well as conditions our citizens live in along the occupation line. The United States is our strategic partner and one of the strongest supporters," Interior Minister said after the meeting.

"We had a wonderful meeting where we had the opportunity to discuss security and many other issues related to cooperation between Georgia and the US, which have been relevant for years. 

"A particularly important issue is the protection of the border of the country. 

"In the past few years, the United States has allocated $600 million to support the development of Georgia's border sector equipment and staff training. The country focuses on protecting maritime and land borders. The United States will continue to support Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, help strengthen border protection and further develop capabilities in this regard,” the Ambassador noted.

Degnan arrived in Georgia on January 29 to start her tenure.

Today, she also met with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. 

By Ana Dumbadze 

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