US Congress Passes Historic Supportive Act on Georgia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, December 18
The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed the act which condemns the Russian occupation in Georgia and provides sanctions for those individuals who have violated the rights of Georgian citizens in the Georgian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that the bill is moving the US-Georgia relations to a genuinely new level, as it happened for the first time when the US House of Representatives passes a separate supportive act on Georgia.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated that previously the US Congress has passed several resolutions supporting Georgia. However, the supportive act stands higher with its importance than resolutions.
“The bipartisan bill provides very important messages. First of all, it condemns the occupation and factual annexation of the Georgian territories, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, by the Russian Federation. It is very important that the document also condemns the violations of human rights in the occupied territories and it emphasized the Georgian Parliament’s resolution on “Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list [the list drafted by Georgia which includes the people who have violated the rights of Georgian citizens in the occupied regions since the 1990s].
“The bill provides certain sanctions - namely, ban on entering the US or seizure of financial assets for those individuals who are responsible for human rights violations in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions. The Congress also instructs the US Executive authority to submit a detailed report on the persons accused in the above-mentioned crimes within 60 days from adopting the law, " FM Davit Zalkaliani said.
Zalkaliani said that the US Congress supports Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration and calls on the US Secretary of State to present a five-year report on the support towards Georgia's defense and security.
The minister says that the bill urges the US trade representative to take genuine steps regarding the launch on free-trade talks with Georgia.
US Acting Ambassador Ross Wilson stated that the bill once again proves the US strong support to Georgia and the country’s democratic development.
