"The recent anti-democratic actions of the Georgian government, the spread of misinformation about the US and the West, and statements like the one made by the Prime Minister yesterday - none of these help Georgia or its people," said US Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan.
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According to her, actions and statements that further isolate Georgia from the West, Europe, and the United States are not in the interests of the Georgian people.
"The vast majority of the Georgian people have expressed that their future lies with Europe and the West. Actions and statements that isolate Georgia do not support this goal.
I want to reiterate once again that there is no stronger supporter of the Georgian people and their Euro-Atlantic integration than the United States. We will continue to support the Georgian people and help Georgia become a stronger, more economically prosperous country, and eventually a member of the European Union. Statements that seek to isolate Georgia from the United States benefit no one," said the US Ambassador [translation by Mtavari Arkhi].
Yesterday, on September 17, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the imposition of new sanctions by the United States on members of the Georgian government "both frivolous and very sad." However, he stated that the culprit is not the State Department, but "oligarchic forces that exert significant influence on official institutions in the United States."
"I do not believe President Biden made this decision. I think certain forces with informal influence on his administration were behind it," Kobakhidze added.
Later, at a meeting in the government administration, the Prime Minister told Ambassador Dunnigan that "the American side is close to reaching a critical point." He also noted that "the decision taken by the US State Department is aimed at improving the opposition’s chances before the elections; however, it is entirely counterproductive, as it will neither boost the opposition's election results nor intimidate the ruling party."
On September 16, the US Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions on two Georgian government officials - Zviad Kharazishvili, also known as Kharaba. and his deputy, Mileri Lagazauri, director of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - due to their role in violently suppressing peaceful protests against the Russian law. The leaders of Alt-Info, Konstantine Morgoshia and Zurab Makharadze, who organized violent attacks on peaceful demonstrations, were also sanctioned. Additionally, the US State Department imposed visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgian citizens and their family members for being responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia. The names of those sanctioned have not been disclosed, but according to the department, they include high-ranking government and municipal officials, law enforcement officers, business leaders, and individuals who spread misinformation and promote violent extremism.
