$34.1m to Be Allocated for Georgia from US 2018 Budget

$34.1 million is set to be allocated to Georgia, according to the United States (US) Congressional Budget Justification for 2018, which is $45.9 million less than the funding Georgia received this year ($80 million.) In general, the US budget of the next year is 29 percent less compared to the budget of 2017.

The document was released by the US Department of State on Wednesday. From the total $34.1 million considered for Georgia, the US will allocate $28 million towards supporting Georgia’s efforts in democratization, economic development, Euro-Atlantic integration, and resiliency against Russian pressure.

“Funds will support targeted efforts to enhance economic opportunities and increase access to objective sources of information for populations vulnerable to Russian influence, including communities bordering the Russian occupied territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” the document states.

It also added that programs will help strengthen institutional checks and balances, as well a the rule of law in Georgia. They will also try to enhance public trust in state institutions; develop a more vibrant civil society and enable its participation in Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration process, both as partners with the government and as advocates for reform.

Moreover, programs will also provide training, technical assistance, and resources to build the capacity of journalists and improve access to independent, reliable, and balanced media. “Programming will increase energy security, aiming at advancing renewable energy and promoting interregional connectivity and trade diversification to reduce reliance on Russian resources,” the document says.

$3 million will be spent on an initiative that will assist Georgia in addressing the growing transnational organized crime problem in the Caucasus region. “Programs will help build the capacity of law enforcement authorities, including their ability to trace and recover assets, respond to critical incidents, and fight human and narcotics trafficking,” the document says.

Assistance will also be provided from the US side to help reform criminal justice sector institutions, including prosecutors, defence attorneys, judges, and probation and corrections officers to bolster the rule of law and strengthen Georgia’s ability to prosecute transnational organized crime and reduce corruption.

Furthermore, funding will support Georgia in advancing criminal procedure reforms and continue its initiatives to enhance public understanding of the criminal justice system and develop strong community-based relationships with local law enforcement.

$0.9 million will be allocated to assist Georgia in implementing its new strategic trade control law, including reforms of secondary legislation and training and equipment for its officers. “Funds will be used to help Georgia’s private sector understand and comply with export control laws. Funding will also help Georgia counter transnational threats such as transit or proliferation of WMD related commodities and technology,” the document says.

Georgia will also receive $2.2 for the training of the Georgian armed forces. The US Congressional Budget Justification for 2018 reads that the challenges facing the United States and Europe in 2018 are great. Terrorism, increased migration, Brexit and Russia’s actions are named as the top challenges. “Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and its occupation of Crimea, and parts of Georgia, and Moldova, continues to contravene international principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the document reads.

Thea Morrison