“It’s important that we continue to engage with appropriate officials of the Georgian Government to have a range of issues that we want to prioritize in the context of that bilateral relationship with them,” said Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, Vedant Patel at the daily press briefing on July 1.

The Spokesperson answered the question of Alex Raufoglu, an Azerbaijani-American journalist, researcher, and press freedom advocate who focuses on Eurasia: “There are reports that the Georgian security service chief was in the United States. You also guys have invited Georgia’s foreign minister to Washington next week. Aren’t you concerned you are sending out mixed messages? By inviting officials and then telling us they were sanctioned officials – imposing visa restrictions.”

“When it comes to Georgia – and I know we’ve spent a lot of time in this briefing room talking about some of the legislation that has recently passed – it’s important that also we continue to engage with appropriate officials when the Georgian Government – it is a country we continue to have a range of issues that we want to prioritize in the context of that bilateral relationship with them.

And while, of course, when it comes – when it has come to this specific legislation, you’ve heard me and Matt talk about the many issues that we have and how we believe it is counter to Georgia’s own EU aspirations. It’s – we still believe it’s important to engage, and there continue to be other issues that we have no doubt we’ll talk about with them,” he said.