Georgia supported by the US

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili’s visit to the USA is being highly speculated about in Georgia. Politicians, analysts, and ordinary people try to find different interpretations to the results of the PM’s visit. However, all are unanimous that this visit is an expression that American support for Georgia is of the utmost importance, especially when this little country is in great danger from its much larger neighbor to the north.

Gharibashvili’s meeting with the US President Barack Obama was not announced beforehand, so it took place by chance. President Obama entered the cabinet where Vice President Joe Biden was talking with the Georgian delegation headed by PM Gharibashvili and the President of the US stayed there.

Some analysts suggest that such a meeting was staged. However, regardless of how it happened, the US president met with the Georgian prime minister and this is already a very positive and significant fact. It broke the myth disseminated by the Georgian oppositional United National Movement (UNM) that US officials did not accept the Georgian Dream leadership accordingly. This meeting has confirmed that the US accepts Georgia as a reliable and devoted partner.

Some comment that this meeting was the result of certain events which have recently taken place in former post-Soviet countries, particularly in Ukraine.

On the one hand, Moscow promotes the formation of the Eurasian (Customs) Union with all of its effort, while on the other hand, Moscow exercises pressure over the former Soviet states to prevent them from joining the Eastern Partnership project and become European Union associated members. Only Moldova and Georgia have expressed their readiness to join the Western alliance so far. Ukraine is facing a transitional period and most probably will also turn back to the EU.

Some analysts think that since Georgia is the only former Soviet Union country, which together with the EU affiliation is committed to joining NATO, the Obama-Gharibashvili meeting must be received with an additional weight. Georgians hope that the US administration will not let Georgia down this time.

Tbilisi meanwhile accurately follows the recommendations of the US, the EU, and other international organizations. It contributes to peacekeeping missions around the world. It held fair, transparent, and democratic elections. It sees further development of civil society in the country, protects essential human rights and other conditions.

Meanwhile Moscow’s conduct against its southern neighbor has become more and more arrogant. It deliberately tries to promote provocations in Georgia by occupying more and more territories of the sovereign country.

Of course, the Georgian administration and people hope that eventually NATO will grant the Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Georgia thus securing the country’s sovereignty. Together with this, while the Georgian Prime Minister has been in the US, he has been encouraging American businesspeople to invest in Georgia, which could be mutually beneficial for the both sides.

At the end, it should be said that Gharibashvili’s visit has once again confirmed that Georgia’s declaration of Western orientation is based on a genuine commitment from the country’s leadership.