Ambassador of the USA to Georgia talks about the bill initiated in the US Congress
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, July 20
Kelly Degnan clarified the details of the bill initiated in the US Congress, which envisages a reduction of financial assistance provided by Washington to Tbilisi in case of non-fulfillment of certain conditions. The US Ambassador spoke about this topic in an interview with ‘Batumelebi.’
According to the ambassador, we need to see the picture from the other side. Degnan said that on the one hand, they are talking about only 15 percent, but the money that is set for Georgia is $135 million US. Also, as she said, it is understandable that the congressmen want to see the development of Georgia, and Georgia is important for its geo-political location and also because the fact that the country was able to show everyone its trust and dedication to democratic political institutions.
She also added that this is a very important message and should be taken seriously. On the one hand, the congressmen want to see a successful and developed Georgia, but on the other hand they have questions as well. “These investments are being made properly, responsibly and serve the development of Georgia as a democratic partner of the United States. We certainly do not dictate what, where and how to spend, but we want to make sure that these funds are spent the way that they help the future Western integration of Georgia,” noted Degnan.
Degnan also talked about the new electoral system of Georgia. According to the US ambassador, some opposition parties think that the March 8th agreement has not been fully implemented, but in her opinion, it is important for the parties to start their election campaign at this stage.
“In this case, perhaps my opinion is less important, it is up to the parties themselves because they were the ones that worked on the treaty. We know that there is a difference of opinion - some opposition parties think that it is not fully implemented and take a principled position in this regard. I think now that there is a very little time left before the elections, it is important for each party to start campaigning,” noted the Ambassador.
Kelly Degnan is a career member of the Senior Foreing Services of the United States, she became the Ambassador of the USA to Georgia in September of 2019. In her first public speech, at her appointment, she called Russia a hostile neighbor to Georgia and outlined the importance of the democratization of the country. She has also many times referred to Georgia as a very strategic and important partner for the US, and also said that she supports Georgia's integration into the Western world.
