U.S. Senators Jim Risch, Jeanne Shaheen, Ben Cardin, Chris Coons, Lindsey Graham, and Dick Durbin have issued a joint statement following discussions with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili. The conversation focused on the political situation in Georgia after the government decided to halt its European Union membership bid.
The senators expressed their support for President Zourabichvili’s leadership and voiced concern over the government’s response to protests. “We spoke with Georgian President Zourabichvili to convey our bipartisan support for her leadership and express our serious concern over the violent and brutal response to peaceful protests following the Georgian government’s decision to suspend the country’s European Union accession negotiations.”
The statement highlighted that Georgians have been protesting peacefully against what they view as an unconstitutional decision by their government. “For days, the people of Georgia have exercised their right to peaceful protest following the unconstitutional decision to disregard the aspirations of the vast majority of Georgians who want a future in the European Union,” said the senators.
They emphasized continued U.S. support for Georgia’s democracy and welcomed potential sanctions from the Biden Administration against those undermining Georgian institutions. “We welcome the Biden Administration’s recent announcement of its intent to apply targeted sanctions on those responsible for undermining Georgia’s institutions and violence against its people and we hope steps are taken to expedite this process.”
The statement also mentioned that these developments are crucial for Georgia’s future, underscoring America’s longstanding commitment to supporting democratic efforts in Georgia.
Previously, Senators Risch and Shaheen had called for U.S. State Department action regarding violence against protestors in Georgia.
