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Speaker: Outgoing U.S. administration's statement creates certain stance for incoming administration that may not be favorable

Shalva Papuashvili, Georgian Parliament Speaker

21 December 2024 13:00 (UTC +04:00)

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili Sunday remarked on the U.S. Department of State Spokesperson’s statement that “Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership. As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism,” APA reports citing 1tv.ge.

The Speaker said, “When the [U.S.] administration is in the process of transferring power, such statements or decisions should not be made as this creates a certain factual circumstance that should not happen this time.”

Papuashvili noted that the strategic cooperation with the United States “did not meet Georgia’s expectations.” Among the expectations, he named a free trade agreement, visa-free travel, and direct flights. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t see it.”

“It is regrettable that the outgoing administration makes such a statement and creates a certain stance for the incoming administration that may not be favorable,” Papuashvili asserted.

He added that the Board of Strategic Partnership has not been convened for the last six years, and “Georgia had hoped for more active engagement.”