“The U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman visited the occupation line near the village of Zemo Nikozi with the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM). This is a clear message that the U.S., EU and the whole West stand behind the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Georgia”, - underlined Dr. Khatuna Burkadze, Director of American and Euro-Atlantic Studies at Geocase. 

She emphasized that the deterrence instruments including the continuation of imposing sanctions would play an important role to protect the fundamental principles of international law in practice. “Through the firm support of partners and development of a new de-occupation strategy, we should achieve tangible results in terms of removing illegal barbed-wire fences. These artificial barriers infringe human rights including the right to free movement. Such barriers should not exist in the 21st century”, - highlighted Dr. Khatuna Burkadze. 

Dr. Khatuna Burkadze paid special attention to bipartisan U.S. solidarity for Georgia. “The U.S. supports the people of Georgia in their efforts to implement democratic reforms and achieve their Euro-Atlantic ambitions. Also, the United States will share COVID-19 vaccines with Georgia. In the geopolitical context, the U.S. Senators travelled to Lithuania and Ukraine before visiting Georgia. This trip reaffirmed U.S. commitment to regional partners especially in the face of an increasingly aggressive Russia. The U.S. stands with Georgia and Ukraine as a strategic ally and assists them to overcome challenges”, - noted Dr. Khatuna Burkadze.