MP Matikashvili: Key issue is position of U.S. Government, not individual congressmen

“We have heard many subjective and unsubstantiated statements from American congressmen. The main thing is not what biased individuals are demanding — the main thing is the position of the American government,” said Davit Matikashvili, Chairman of the Procedural Issues Committee of the Georgian Parliament.

According to Matikashvili, Georgia’s strategic relations with the United States should begin “from a new page,” emphasizing that this approach will naturally define the future course of cooperation.

“It is important for us to start relations with the new American administration from a new page. Strategic relations should start from a new page — the rest will follow,” Matikashvili stated.

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Curtis (R-UT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Administration to defend former U.S. personnel who have been unfairly targeted by Georgian officials amid a troubling rise in anti-American rhetoric.

U.S. lawmakers called on Secretary Rubio to seek assurances from Georgian authorities that former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) and other personnel employed by the United States will not be maligned or targeted.