U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Visits Georgia

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Bridget Brink met with acting Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili on November 21.

The key issues of strategic cooperation between Georgia and the United States, including perspectives of cooperation in the spheres of defense and security, economy and trade, democracy and human rights, education and culture were discussed, according to the Georgian government’s office.

Earlier on Sunday the U.S. diplomat held talks with new Parliamentary Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze.    

Bridget Brink said after the meeting that she congratulated Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia on its victory in the October parliamentary elections that “is a very big opportunity to keep Georgia moving forward, but it is also a really big responsibility.” 

“I said that from our perspective that you reach across the aisle including with the opposition and the focus on areas of strategic national interest would be our recommendation going forward as they start off with their legislative agenda. I also suggested that if constitutional reform is something that is being contemplated, it would be done as inclusively as possible with experts from both inside, of course, the government, opposition and parliament, but also experts from outside of the government and Europe,” she said.   

She also noted that the Parliament Speaker and the heads of some of the committees confirmed their commitment “to be inclusive and to work in a manner that is supporting our joint interests of Euro-Atlantic integration for Georgia.”

In frames of her visit, the U.S. diplomat will also meet with President Giorgi Margvelashvili. On November 19 she held talks with Mikheil Janelidze, acting deputy foreign minister.