Georgia’s Margvelashvili Holds High-Rank Meetings in US
In order to strengthen the United States’ support for Georgia's security and promote Georgia's NATO integration process, the Georgian President held high-rank meetings in Washington March 12-16.
“The bipartisan support of the US Congress to Georgia will be further strengthened,” the President stated after meeting the US congressman Nancy Pelosi on March 14.
The sides discussed Georgia’s role in international NATO-led peace keeping missions and recent developments in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) as well as the tragic death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali.
The Georgian President also met Gerald Connolly at Congress to discuss the challenges facing Georgia and the region. He thanked Mr. Connolly for the firm support of Georgia's territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic integration that has repeatedly been expressed when initiating and adopting resolutions related to Georgia.
President Margvelashvili highlighted that it is crucial to once again consolidate international support for Georgia's territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic integration and denounce the Russian occupation.
Margvelashvili also held a meeting at the Senate to discuss the importance of consolidating strong support for Georgia’s security and preparation for the upcoming NATO Summit.
At the meeting with Robert Menendez, Bob Corker and Jeanne Shaheen, President Margvelashvili spoken about the security situation in the region. He stressed that it is important to strengthen US-Georgia cooperation and strategic partnership in the security sphere in order for the outcomes of this cooperation to become more tangible.
"Considering the current security challenges and Georgia’s preparation for the upcoming NATO Summit, US support is much needed to neutralize the threats facing the country,” the President said.
“We have an ambition for Georgia to become a NATO member. We declare that we deserve this membership and we will spare no efforts to make this goal a reality for Georgia," Margvelashvili added.
Within the frames of the visit, the Georgian President also held a meeting with the Atlantic Council, NDI and IRI leaderships to discuss Georgia-US bilateral cooperation, strategic partnership and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic course.
He also addressed the think tank and expert community at the Hudson Institute, and met the Georgetown University students, where he spoke about the Russian aggressive policy towards Georgia and about Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
The President of Georgia held a reception at the Embassy of Georgia in Washington and, together with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the United States, David Bakradze, hosted an event for the Georgian diaspora to celebrate a historic occasion, the 100th anniversary of the First Georgian Republic.
"This visit aims at intensifying a dialogue with a State that has become powerful by recognizing not only its own, but the freedoms of other nations," Margvelashvili said.
Thea Morrison