At a hearing held in the US Congress in Washington, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joshua Huck stated that the government of Georgia has sharply deviated from its previous democratic trajectory, with the so-called Foreign Influence law symbolizing this anti-democratic shift. In the USA, there is hope that Georgian leaders will return to their Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Huck stated that the best way to achieve this is by repealing the law, stopping the spread of misinformation about the US, halting the progress of other undemocratic legislation, and ensuring that the parliamentary elections in October are conducted in a free and fair environment.
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"This hearing comes at an extremely important time for both our bilateral relations and the future of democracy in Georgia. The Georgian government has sharply veered from the country's past democratic trajectory, putting its Euro-Atlantic aspirations and relationship with the United States at risk. They have passed undemocratic legislation, demonized civil society, spread disinformation, and launched rhetorical attacks against the United States and European partners who have supported Georgia for decades. The Foreign Influence law adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream on May 28 is a symbol of this anti-democratic change.
This law, which mirrors the one in force in Russia, is designed to silence critical voices, blackmail activists and journalists of independent non-governmental organizations, and subjugate Georgia's active civil society through fear. The Georgian Dream government adopted this law despite the mass protests of its citizens, the position of the USA, and the clear conclusion of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe that the law was not compatible with European norms," said Joshua Huck.
He mentioned that in recent months, the US State Department has been involved at all levels to make it clear to the Georgian people that the US continues to support their democratic, Euro-Atlantic aspirations, while also informing the Georgian government that it is heading in the wrong direction.
"As a result of decisions by Georgia's ruling party, on May 23rd, Secretary Blinken announced a new visa restriction policy to promote accountable those who undermine democracy in Georgia. He also announced a comprehensive review of our bilateral relations, including our aid to Georgia. On June 6, we took steps to impose visa restrictions on representatives of Georgia's ruling party, parliamentarians, and law enforcement officials who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia.
These steps build on our previous actions, such as visa restrictions on corrupt judges and financial sanctions on Georgian-Russian oligarch Otar Partskaladze linked to the FSB. We are also working closely with interagency colleagues on additional measures, including potentially redirecting or suspending aid programs and withdrawing policy engagement. The Department of Defense recently announced the indefinite postponement of military exercises in Georgia.
We hope that Georgian leaders will reconsider their actions and return to Georgia's long-declared Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
We have made it clear to the Georgian government that the best way to achieve this is to repeal the Foreign Influence Act, stop disinformation about the US, halt the advancement of other undemocratic legislation, and ensure that the pre-election period and the October parliamentary elections are free and fair.
We emphasized to the government the importance of ensuring free and fair elections and noted that we are following the election processes very carefully. We supported Georgia's request to establish an OSCE monitoring mission and called on the government to ensure unhindered access for international and local observers," said the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.
He noted that 2024 is a crucial year for the future of Georgia and its democratic progress. Joshua Huck confirmed his strong support for Georgian civil society "in the face of pressure, harassment, and physical attacks from the authorities."
"We are in regular contact with civil society representatives and actively support their efforts to ensure that the October elections are free and fair. The Georgian people must decide the future of Georgia.
We must remember the future threats to Georgia from Russia, which still occupies 20% of Georgia's territory.
In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that despite these difficult times, the commitment of the United States to the Georgian people remains unwavering and unchanging. Americans and Georgians share a special friendship based on our shared values of love of freedom and independence. We will continue to support the further development of a strong, safe, and democratic Georgia."
The topic of the hearing held by the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs was the US policy in Georgia and Moldova, ahead of the elections to be held in these countries in 2024.
