During a July 20 briefing, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price pledged full support for Ambassador Kelly Degnan and stated “disinformation and personal attacks on Ambassador Degnan or her team are not consistent with how partners communicate with one another, and we will continue to focus on supporting our shared goals.”
Ruling Georgian Dream party officials have recently lashed out at Ambassador Degnan on several issues, including the U.S.’ critical position on Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze’s decision to imprison opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV chief Nika Gvaramia.
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Referencing Georgia’s recently granted European perspective, Price said while the U.S. fully supports Georgian citizens’ EU aspirations, “the rhetoric from some Georgian officials recently, however, seems intended to distract Georgia’s citizens from that goal.”
“Ambassador Degnan and her team at our embassy in Tbilisi are committed to working with the people of Georgia in support of their Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” he added. “We have worked shoulder to shoulder for 30 years on democratic reforms, economic development, and security cooperation. This remains unchanged.”
Price pledged support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while reiterating that the U.S. “is working with our allies and partners to bring an end to President [Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine as quickly as possible and to secure a peaceful future for the entire region.”
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