The United States remains deeply concerned by the ongoing anti-democratic actions of the Georgian Government, which are incompatible with membership norms in the EU and NATO, Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department Spokesperson said during a regular press briefing.
“In addition to the passage of the so-called foreign influence law, we have also seen the Georgian Government repeatedly violently crack down on Georgian citizens who protested that law.
Today, the United States is imposing sanctions on two Georgian Government officials and two leaders of a violent extremist group, as well as imposing visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgian individuals for their involvement in human rights abuses, corrupt practices, or other anti-democratic actions.
These actions come as a result of our ongoing comprehensive review of all bilateral cooperation in Georgia due to persistent anti-democratic actions as well as false statements by senior Georgian Government leaders that are contrary to the spirit of our decades-long relationship with the Government of Georgia. The Georgian Government can recommit to its Euro-Atlantic trajectory by conducting free and fair elections, withdrawing and repealing anti-democratic legislation, and demonstrating significant and measurable progress on outstanding EU accession reform recommendations.
The United States has been the biggest supporter of Georgia’s economic and democratic development for the past 32 years. Our assistance has focused on making Georgia stronger, more prosperous, and a more capable country – or more – a country more capable of defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope the Government of Georgia will return to the path that its people so evidently desire”, he said.
