Georgian Justice Minister hopes Senate will halt MEGOBARI Act, refocus on strengthening US-Georgia relations
Politics
Paata Salia
Photo: Imedi TV
Georgian Justice Minister Paata Salia on Tuesday voiced hope that the United States Senate would not advance the MEGOBARI Act, calling it unfounded and harmful to bilateral relations.
In his remarks, Salia expressed concern about the bill’s potential consequences and urged the United States Senate to adopt a more informed and balanced approach toward Georgia.
“We strongly hope that the Senate will gain a better understanding of the situation in Georgia, will better see what is truly important for improving United States-Georgia relations, and that the MEGOBARI Act will not move forward - that it ultimately will not become law”, Salia said.
“The MEGOBARI Act, in its essence, is not friendly towards the Georgian state or the Georgian people. This Act could only be considered friendly towards radical groups that are attempting to change the government in Georgia through violent means. It is unfortunate that this act, passed by Congress, is based on fundamentally flawed factual information. For example, take the case of the Anaklia Port - the suggestion that Georgia rejected American investors. There is no document or source in existence that would confirm such a slanderous claim. Unfortunately, such unchecked, unverified, and manipulated facts have become the basis for Congress to adopt such an act”, he continued.
He argued that the legislation would benefit only radical groups seeking regime change through undemocratic means and emphasised that the bill did not align with the long-term interests of Georgian-American relations.
“However, the process is not over - the Senate must still review it, and the President must sign it. We are very hopeful that the Senate will take a clearer view of the situation in Georgia, will better understand what is important today for improving relations between Georgia and the United States, and that this act will go no further and will not ultimately become law”, the Minister concluded.
