PM to Pompeo: Grateful for Your Personal & US Support of Our Strategic Partnership

"You are a true friend of this country. We are grateful for your personal and the United States support of our strategic partnership, the most important partnership of this country," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated during today's meeting with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.

The Head of State emphasized US-Georgia strategic partnership and thanked the US Secretary of State for his visit to Georgia.

"Of course, we are thankful for the United States' support in combating COVID. As you know, we have a very successful story of cooperation, meaning Lugar Laboratory, which is key to Georgia's response to COVID. First of all, I would like to underline that we really appreciate the continuous support of the US people and Government for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. You know how important it is to our country with its territories occupied and occupation forces on our soil. Our strategic partnership is based, first of all, on values: freedom, democracy, and shared geostrategic interests. In this very turbulent time in the region, we understand that we have to discuss these issues, and this is a great opportunity for us to discuss very important issues of deepening the cooperation between the US and Georgia in defense and security, economy, and consolidating democracy. I would like to assure you, we feel that this is great momentum for enhancing our cooperation, for enhanced partnership between our countries, for enhanced US presence in this region. So, welcome once again, and we are very thankful that you found time for this visit," Giorgi Gakharia addressed Michael Pompeo.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo thanked the Head of the Georgian Government for hospitality and emphasized the years-long friendly relations between the two countries.

"Mister Prime Minister, it is great to be here. We have many important topics to discuss today, and these points have been well taken in. The world, and certainly Georgia, is in the middle of a terrible challenge from the virus that was released from China. We will address this together, keep our people safe, and get our economies back up and going again. This is central for the prosperity of your country, region, and the world.

"We have been great friends for almost 30 years now. We support your democracy, and we have worked together all this time, and we recognize all the pain and difficulty connected to the occupation of your country. And we will do everything we can to support your democratic process, the building up of the institutions in ways that are important for free and fair elections, and all other things that come with robust debate and democracy. And I thank you for hosting me again. I appreciate it," Michael Pompeo said.

The parties discussed the key directions of the Georgia-US strategic partnership and prospects of deepening the strong cooperation between the countries.

The Head of Government singled out the invaluable support from the US in the fight against the pandemic and thanked the strategic partner state.

Attention was paid to the state of affairs in Georgia and the region, alongside Georgia-US cooperation for strengthening regional and international security.

The Head of Government, during the meeting with the Secretary of State, emphasized the dire security and humanitarian situation in Georgia's occupied regions.

The Secretary of State reaffirmed the unwavering support of the United States of America for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The meeting underlined cooperation for further strengthening trade and economic relations and Georgia's democratic development. The Prime Minister singled out the crucially important role of the US in Georgia's democratic development.

According to Giorgi Gakharia, the visit by the Secretary of State reiterates the robustness of the Georgia-US strategic partnership and the commitment of the two countries to continuing this cooperation in order to build on the existing partnership based on shared values.

The enhanced-format high-level meeting at the Administration of the Government was attended from the American side by Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Georgia Kelly Degnan, Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ricky Waddell, and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State Mary Kissel, and from the Georgian side by Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, Georgian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the US Davit Bakradze, and Head of the Government Administration Natia Mezvrishvili.

After the meeting, the US Secretary of State, together with the Prime Minister, enjoyed Tbilisi's views from the balcony of the Government's Administration.