On April 23rd, at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel was meeting with some civil society representatives and the US delegation, which was guided by Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, the government delegation at the meeting, Human Rights and Labor Thomas Melia, and the United States Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator Paige Alexander. The meeting was attended by executive director of the Center for Development and Democracy – Katevan Chachava.
US government delegetation will participate in US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission’s Democracy working group meeting on April 25th. The working group aims the wider cooperation between US and Georgia. During the working group meeting will be discussed strengthening the democratic processes in Georgia as well as important issues including upcoming local elections, the rule of law, judicial reform and human rights. The working groups also will focus on internal and external challenges about development of democracy, including the latest news of occupied regions and ongoing events around Georgia. Besides the participation in working groups, delegation representatives will meet with government officials, and representatives of NGOs and ruling and oppositional political parties.
US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter was signed in Washington on January 9, 2009. The first session held by Strategic Partnership Commission was in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2009 where was established a bilateral working group according to four priority areas: democracy, defense and security, economy, trade and energy, as well as the relationship between the people and the culture. Since then, high-level officials from government of Georgian and the United States meet regularly to discuss their work, and make plans to resume the action program objectives. Last meeting of Strategic Commission on 12 March 2014, was held in Washington, DC, and co-chaired by the Prime Minister and the Minister of State, Secretary Kerry. For more information, please visit: http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/gg/usgeorgiacommission/index.htm.
