Blinken Urges Georgia’s Leaders To Take Country 'In Right Direction'
Blinken Urges Georgia’s Leaders To Take Country 'In Right Direction'
The top U.S. diplomat on Sunday urged Georgia’s leaders to "take the steps necessary to move Georgia forward in the right direction," TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
"The United States will continue to strongly support the aspirations of the Georgian people for a Euro-Atlantic future," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on the occasion of Georgia's National Day.
"Throughout the 32 years of our bilateral relationship, the United States has shown unwavering commitment to Georgia’s democratic, prosperous future, and has been among the strongest supporters of Georgia’s sovereignty and integrity. We have been proud to support efforts to strengthen Georgia’s economy, democracy, and ability to deter Russian aggression, and we reaffirm our commitment to the Georgian people and to Georgia’s future," Blinken noted.
He went on to add, "It has been an important twelve months for the people of Georgia, including Georgia’s historic achievement of European Union candidate status. The next several months will be pivotal in seeing this opportunity become real... On this day of celebration for Georgians everywhere, I reaffirm the United States’ firm commitment to helping Georgia build the secure, prosperous European democracy its citizens overwhelmingly desire and so richly deserve."
Blinken's message came as tensions persist between the Western allies and Georgia over a law that critics say will obstruct media freedom and damage Georgia’s bid to join the European Union.
The measure,which opponents denounce as “the Russian law”, would require media and NGOs to register as “carrying out the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their budget from abroad.
Blinken last week announced that travel sections would be imposed on Georgian officials “who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia” and “it remains our hope that Georgia’s leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps to move forward with their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”
-
- Politics
- 27 May 2024 10:54
Politics
-
Fazil Gasimov, an economist who has been on a hunger strike for 107 days while in detention, is facing pressure to end his protest, Gasimov’s relatives said.
-
A year after the organized departure of the entire Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh, only 2.6% of the former Armenian residents of the region have obtained Armenian citizenship. According to the Armenian Migration Service, out of approximately 120,000 displaced individuals, only 3,226 people have received Armenian passports.
-
Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia regarding the mutual exemption from visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports traveling for short-term visits. The document was signed by the foreign ministers of both countries, Jeyhun Bayramov and Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on September 27 during a meeting at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. According to the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the meeting expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations based on mutual respect for each other's legitimate interests.
-
Azerbaijan and Indonesia have agreed on visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic passports. The relevant intergovernmental agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Indonesia, Jeyhun Bayramov and Retno Marsudi, on September 27 during a meeting at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Leave a review