Mamuka Mdinaradze Criticizes US Decision to Postpone Noble Partner 2024
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of the Georgian Dream party, has strongly condemned the United States| decision to indefinitely postpone the Noble Partner 2024 military exercises, labeling it as "incomprehensible" given Georgia's track record in democracy and reforms.
"This decision by the USA to postpone Noble Partner 2024 for an unknown period of time is simply incomprehensible," Mdinaradze asserted during a press conference. "Georgia has consistently demonstrated its commitment to democratic principles and has made significant strides in reforms. Therefore, it is disappointing to see such a decision being made."
Mdinaradze criticized what he sees as a trend of shifting responsibility onto parties not involved in the decision-making process. "There is a new trend where the blame is placed on parties that did not make the decision. This is simply wrong," he stated emphatically.
He further argued for the need to rebuild and normalize relations with the United States, emphasizing the importance of Georgia's strategic partnership with its main ally. "Our main strategic partner should reconsider sanctions that affect Georgian citizens, particularly regarding visa difficulties," Mdinaradze explained. "It is unfair that countries with much less interaction have more open visa policies than Georgia. This inconsistency needs to be addressed."
Highlighting Georgia's position as a leader in democracy and reforms among European Union candidate countries, Mdinaradze expressed optimism that such decisions could be reversed in the near future. "Georgia has consistently been ahead of other EU candidate countries in terms of democratic development and reforms. I believe that with time, these decisions will be reconsidered based on specific factors," he said optimistically.
Mdinaradze denied any accusations or misinformation regarding Georgian Dream's stance towards the United States. "No member of our party or government has ever criticized the European Union or the United States, nor have we labeled the US as a global war party or blamed it for any 'second front'," he stated firmly. "I challenge anyone to provide evidence of such claims."
Mdinaradze reiterated Georgian Dream's commitment to constructive international relations and expressed hope for a resolution to the current diplomatic challenges with the United States. He emphasized the need for mutual respect and cooperation between the two nations to achieve shared goals and interests in the future.
