Tony Blinken: Georgia a Source of Democratic Inspiration to the Entire Region
An official reception to mark the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Georgia’s independence was held in Washington on 8 June 2016.
The reception was hosted by the Foreign Minister, Mikheil Janelidze, the Defense Minister, Tinatin Khidasheli, and the Ambassador of Georgia to the United States, Archil Gegeshidze. From the US side, the event was attended by the Deputy Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Elissa Slotkin, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Gayle Smith.
Mikheil Janelidze and Tony Blinken addressed the attending audience, highlighting many years of strategic and friendly relations between Georgia and the United States of America.
“It is very emotional to see over 800 people having assembled here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of restoration of Georgia’s independence,” Janelidze said. “These people from various government agencies have stood by Georgia at different times, for many years. A great tribute to the progress Georgia has made is due to the strategic partnership and co-operation between Georgia and the United States. We highly value these relations and believe that our partnership will become even stronger in the future.”
The Deputy Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, congratulated the Georgian people on the Day of Independence and spoke about the long-standing friendship between Georgia and the United States based on common values of democracy and freedom. According to Tony Blinken, Georgia has served as an example of progress and development for the entire region.
“Your strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia is a critical component of our new Silk Road Policy. The United States strongly supports Georgia’s regional leadership to create the trans-Caspian corridor connecting the European and Asian markets. Georgia is a key partner in the diversification of the trade process across Asia.
We also know that the inclusive road cannot be sustained without the foundations of freedom, pluralism and the rule of law. Today, Georgia remains a source of democratic inspiration to the entire region. This is especially remarkable considering the fact that Georgia has to tackle Russia’s occupation and borderization. Parliamentary elections this fall will provide another opportunity to show the residents of the occupied territories and the wider neighborhood that democracy, openness and tolerance is the best guarantee towards peace, prosperity and stability. The world is watching. We know that Georgia will rise to the occasion.”
Tony Blinken went on to once again reaffirm the United States’ firm support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We look forward to the day when Georgia is unified once again, because the citizens of Georgia and no one else should make the decisions about Georgia’s future. We stand by the commitment made in Bucharest that Georgia will become a member of NATO and we continue to strongly support its aspirations. When called to meet the challenges of the 21st century, Georgia never hesitates. Georgia continues to serve with remarkable honor in Afghanistan as the biggest non-NATO contributor nation to the Resolute Support mission together with the US and Germany. That is extraordinary and Georgia deserves extraordinary credit. I wish to express my gratitude for their role in making our world just a little bit safer,” the US Deputy Secretary of State said.
Blinken also highlighted the strong friendship between the US and Georgian people and wished Georgia success on its path towards development.
“This year a young woman from Tbilisi became among ten young leaders from around the entire world recognized by the State Department for their extraordinary contributions to their communities. Reviewing the achievements over the past 25 years, I have no doubt that those young people will lead the next 25 years and many, many more,” Blinken said.
The reception dedicated to the restoration of Georgia’s independence was organized by the Embassy of Georgia to the US and was attended by more than 900 guests. Within the framework of the reception, the Georgian Foreign Minister, Mikheil Janelidze, awarded Orders of Merit to the Co-chair of the Georgian Caucus, Congressman Ted Poe, the Deputy Secretary at the US Department of Commerce, Bruce Andrews, and the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Anthony Fauci, who is one of the initiators of the Hepatitis C Elimination Project in Georgia.
Eka Janjgava