Two U.S. Congressmen, Gerald Connolly (D-VA) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who serve as the co-chairs of the Congressional Georgia Caucus, reintroduced yesterday a bipartisan “Georgia Support Act” in the House of Representatives.
The draft resolution, which reasserts Washington’s support for the “independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Georgia,” calls for enhancing “Georgia’s deterrence, resilience, and self-defense, including through appropriate assistance to improve the capabilities of Georgia’s armed forces.”
The document also authorizes the U.S. President to impose visa and financial restrictions on individuals “complicit in or responsible for serious human rights abuses” in Georgia’s Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia.
It also urges the U.S. Trade Representative to “make progress toward negotiations with Georgia to enter a bilateral free trade agreement.”
In support of Georgia’s sovereignty and democratic institutions, the bill backs enhancing Georgia’s capabilities “to combat Russian disinformation and propaganda campaigns,” while “promoting the freedom of the press.”
Moreover, the document details cybersecurity cooperation objectives between the two countries, calling for reducing Georgia’s “reliance on Russian information and communications,” and for assisting Tbilisi in expanding its “cybersecurity information sharing,” among others.
Congressman Connolly said reintroducing the bill “strengthens the vital U.S.-Georgia partnership, a strategically important relationship in a critical part of the world,” as well as “recognizes that Georgia has been a longstanding NATO-aspirant country.”
Congressman Kinzinger remarked on his part that “…in the face of Russia’s violations of basic human rights, Georgia has worked tirelessly to develop their democracy and fight for independence for their people.”
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