U.S. President Proposes USD 121 Mln Aid for Georgia Next Year

The fiscal year 2022 budget request by U.S. President Joe Biden’s Administration for the U.S. State Department and the USAID envisages providing assistance of USD 120.6 million to Georgia through multiple programs.

The budget justification document, published May 28, envisages disbursing USD 88,025,000 to Georgia through Assistance For Europe, Eurasia And Central Asia (AEECA), to assist the country’s “democratization, economic development, Euro-Atlantic integration, and build resilience to counter Kremlin malign influence.”

According to the document, the funds will also help to strengthen civil society, improve access to independent, reliable, and balanced media, promote political pluralism, support reconciliation efforts including in Russian-occupied Abkhazia, increase energy security and advance clean energy, enhance cybersecurity and attract foreign investment, among others.

Besides the AEECA, the document envisages Georgia receiving USD 2.2 million through International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs, as one of the “priority recipients” of the aid. The IMET assistance aims to enhance regional security and interoperability among U.S., NATO, and European armed forces and aid in countering Russian aggression.

Georgia was named one of the priority recipients also of the Foreign Military Financing programs, as the document requests to disburse USD 25 million for the “frontline” country in countering Russian influence.

The budget request also proposes Georgia receive USD 4.4 million through International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INCLE) programs and USD 1 million through Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR).

The requested amounts may be susceptible to change as the federal budget process moves to the U.S. Congress.

Previously, the adopted Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2021 fiscal year set USD 132,025,000 as the minimum amount for Georgia to receive. Out of the funds, USD 88,025,000 was set to be disbursed through the AEECA programs, USD 35 million under foreign military financing, an additional USD 5.7 million through INCLE programs, USD 2.2 million through IMET programs, and USD 1.1 million under NADR.

Also Read:

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)