U.S. Congressman Slams ‘Oligarch’ Ivanishvili over Frontera Resources, ‘Crushing Basic Human Rights’

On January 28, in his remarks made in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) slammed Georgia’s ruling party chairman, ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili over Frontera Resources, as well as for “crushing basic human rights.”

“I have a question. What does Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street has in common with Republic of Georgia’s oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili? What they have in common? Answer – they are both puppets who trash their own homes,” Congressman said, adding that “Vladimir Putin’s puppet [Bidzina Ivanishvili] has attacked the investment in Georgia and crushed basic human rights.”

He then noted that “coming from Texas, Frontera Resources, has been drilling in Georgia for years and years and years. They’ve created great jobs in America, great jobs in Georgia. They’ve created freedom…. Now they are drilling zero wealth in Georgia.”

Rep. Olson then stressed that “of course, …. Vladimir Putin is happy to control Georgia’s oil. This puppet oligarch Ivanishvili is getting rich off the backs of the Georgian people.”

“It’s time to wake up as protesters in Georgia need our support. Join me in raising our voices for freedom in Georgia,” he concluded.

Frontera Resources, U.S. company with headquarters in Houston, Texas, has dispute with Georgia’s Oil and Gas corporation. Several other Congressmen before Rep. Olson also criticized Georgian government for the country’s dispute with Frontera Resources.

On January 26, David Bakradze, Georgia’s ambassador to the U.S. said “the tone, in which the Congressmen supporting Frontera Resources address the Georgian Prime Minister – the Prime Minister of the United States’ strategic partner state – is absolutely unacceptable,” noting that “we have long experience of relations with the Congressmen supporting this company.”

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