The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili welcomed the signing by the President of the United States Donald trump of the consolidated act on the budget allocations of the United States, which already at the legislative level is confirmed the support to Georgia’s territorial integrity.
“With this legislation, the United States to defend the sovereignty and unity of Georgia, as well as give a special effect to the policy of non-recognition of the occupied territories. This decision, both chambers of Congress, the Executive branch and the President, trump has further strengthened the strategic partnership of the USA and Georgia,” – said in a Saturday statement, Margvelashvili.
The Georgian President thanked the U.S. government for such support, and expressed gratitude for the work of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Embassy of Georgia in the United States.
Trump approved the new law on the US Federal budget for the current fiscal year previously approved by the House of representatives and the Senate, which first spelled out the items on the protection of the territorial integrity of Georgia. According to media reports, the total budget of the United States until September 2017 is $1.2 trillion.
The law requires the U.S. Treasury to develop the necessary instructions for the international financial institutions, in order to exclude the possibility of implementing any programs (loans, debts, guarantees), violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
The Law prohibits support to any country in the world that recognizes the independence of the occupied Georgian regions – Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia.
In the section devoted to the support of European countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union, said the allocation of at least $100 million for countering Russian influence and aggression. The funds will provide non-governmental organizations to support legal state, democratic institutions, freedom of the media.
In addition, funds will be allocated to the Eastern partnership countries to implement free trade agreements with the European Union to reduce their vulnerability to economic and political pressure from Russia.
Earlier, foreign Minister of Georgia Mikheil Janelidze welcomed the decision of the house of representatives of the U.S. Congress on the adoption of amendments to the budget for the current fiscal year for which us should provide aid to any country that recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
He explained to journalists on may 4 that the amendments “shall not support any country that recognized independence of occupied territories of Georgia – Abkhazia and South Ossetia”. “The American government institutions are also prohibited from carrying out actions which are directed on support of the occupation of these two regions by Russia”, – said the head of the Georgian foreign Ministry.
On 26 August 2008 Russia recognized the independence of the former Georgian autonomies of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After Russia the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was recognized by Nicaragua, Venezuela, the island nation of Nauru, Vanuatu, Tuvalu.
Washington does not recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. “The U.S. position on the question of Abkhazia and South Ossetia solid and very clear. We do not recognize them as independent countries. We support the sovereignty of Georgia,” said April 20 to journalists, the acting U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Nicolas Berliner.
