Foreign Media Reports Georgia Rebuffs Bridget Brink as US Ambassador
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, December 12
Foreign Policy media has reported that the Georgian government has rebuffed US Foreign Service officer Bridget Brink to become a new ambassador to Georgia because of the alleged predisposition toward former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
“Current and former officials in Washington told Foreign Policy that Georgia has indicated it will not sign a diplomatic agreement—known in diplomacy as an agrement—accepting the nomination of Bridget Brink, a career foreign service officer with extensive experience in Europe and two past tours in Georgia, because of her alleged predisposition toward former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili,” Foreign Policy reported on Monday.
The media claims that the US State Department declined to comment, referring the matter to the White House, which has not yet formally announced an ambassador nomination to Georgia.
A senior administration official said, “The Trump administration puts forward strong, qualified candidates for ambassadorial positions and is making every effort to fill these positions as quickly as possible, including in Georgia. We do not comment on the status of internal processes.”
A spokesperson for the government of Georgia declined to comment on the matter, Foreign Media says.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that the information is far from reality and that such allegations voiced by the media might play a negative role in the relations of Georgia and its strategic partner United States.
The Georgian Dream ruling party lawmakers are called the information incorrect and stated that Georgia has no levers to make an influence on the decisions of the United States regarding its ambassadors to Georgia.
A member of the United National Movement opposition Salome Samadashvili called the information “an alarming scandal”, which could play a negative role in the Georgian-American relations.
The US government sent Ross Wilson in early November to Georgia to fulfill the functions of an ambassador until the official appointment of the new US ambassador to Georgia.
The post became vacant after an early retirement of former US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly in February 2018 and an end of his 33-year diplomatic career.
