According to US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili expressed the situation in Georgia very well in her remarks at the recent Biden’s Summit for Democracy.

“Speaking of the challenges and the opportunities, she called for inclusive governance, she called for reducing polarization, and she called for the start of a dialogue that would begin a healing process in Georgia,” Ambassador Degnan stressed, adding that the United States would “gladly support any initiative that would help reduce polarization.”

“And that would help heal the deep divides that have been tearing this country apart for the last couple of years. I think this is an important opportunity that the president has put forward in her role as a unifier of the country under the constitution. We would gladly support such an initiative,” Degnan said.

At the same time, the US Ambassador stressed the importance of Georgia’s elected leaders getting to work in parliament on the many initiatives that could be happening in parliament to help reduce polarization, to help promote truly inclusive governance.

“We have the opportunity here with the opposition leaders and with the ruling party, members of parliament who want to work together for the best interests of Georgia. It would be, I think, very refreshing for Georgians to have those members of parliament be able to move forward with the work that they were elected to do on behalf of their citizens without this political overlay that is so paralyzing to progress in Georgia and that really only benefits Russia. So, I sincerely hope that the Georgian people will embrace this opportunity to begin a dialogue that will heal this country and reduce the deep polarization that has continued for far too long,” the Ambassador said.

Speaking at the virtual summit for democracy, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said: “I pledge to initiate an inclusive process, a national conversation involving all of society to find the way to achieve a shared understanding of recent history, to help heal the pains, and move forward.”