American congressmen attended the celebrations of the eighth anniversary of Georgian Rose Revolution
Recently some American congressmen - republicans David Dreier and Ed Whitfield, democrat Donald Payne and Chief of Staff to House Speaker John Boehner Barry Jackson attended the celebrations of the eighth anniversary of Georgian Rose Revolution. Members of the House of Representatives met with Michael Saakashvili and the chairman of parliament David Bakradze.
The main topics were the possible conclusion of the contract on free trade between the two countries, the adoption of a resolution condemning "the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia" by Congress, support for giving Georgia "a plan of action aimed at entering NATO," at the forthcoming summit of the alliance, which will be held in Chicago. The assistant secretary of the Security Council of Georgia, former ambassador in the USA, Batu Kuteliya, said: "Most likely, in the near future the US Congress will pass the resolution on occupation of our territories by Russia – after the example of senate which has already adopted such a document."
Issues of Russian-Georgian relations mainly prevailed during the negotiations. Responding to numerous requests concerning statement of president Medvedev that only the war in August, 2008 prevented Georgia from entering the NATO, congressman David Dreier has confirmed the right of any country to enter the alliance, regardless of the opinion of Moscow. "I strongly support Georgia's entrance to NATO. The USA generally supports this aspiration. That day will come, and I hope, it will come soon, when we will see Georgia in NATO," the congressman declared - "if president Medvedev desires that Georgia wouldn't become a member of the NATO and it is his aim, I would wish that this desire didn't come true". However, here Dreier David swept a curtsy to Russia: "It is necessary to avoid the new cold war or similar threat as much as possible."
The issue of the NATO prospects of Georgia has also been discussed at the meeting with the opposition. "We have informed the American visitors that we consider Georgia's entering the NATO a priority problem, especially after Medvedev's scandalous statement," the leader of an opposition party The New Right» David Gamkrelidze told VK. We consider flaws in democratic development of our country, in the first place, obstacles on the path to entering the the NATO».
Participation in presentation of a Ronald Reagan Freedom Centre and Raegan monument opening became the main point in the agende of the visit. The Ronald Reagan Freedom Centre is situated in the building of Tbilisi public library and possessed the status of the first official foreign partner of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. The executive director of the Fund John Heubusch, who delivered a speech at the presentation, thanked the hosts on behalf of the widow of the former US President Nancy Reagan and read her message: "My husband has always felt closely linked to the people aspiring to freedom. He would have been happy, if he had known that millions of Georgians already live in the free country,"
After the library the American delegation went to Rike park, situated near Saakashvili's residence. There the Raegan monument by Avtandil Monaselidze was solemnly unveiled. There president Saakashvili joined the congressmen. He mentioned Reagan's great role in the destruction of the USSR. "Ronald Reagan destroyed «the empire of evil". And the leader of the invader country has recently said that the disintegration of the USSR was "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the XX century. He already doesn't hide his desire to restore the USSR in the form of the Euroasian union, but we remember, that it was Ronald Reagan who has rescued Georgia from the clutches of the empire and made Major Putin watch the demolition of the Berlin wall.".
The president of Georgia has unexpectedly unflatteringly spoke of the Russian Orthodox Church: "The Russian Orthodox Church has always been the branch of the Kremlin and repeatedly declared a crusade for the empire restoration. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has recently declared that he considers all the territory of the former USSR, including Georgia, the lands of historical Russia."In reply, the chief negotiator of the USA named the Rose Revolution a "continuation of the revolution of Reagan": "Georgians resist aggression in accordance with the values of freedom which were professed by Ronald Reagan," David Dreier said. He also told about his meeting with Nancy Reagan before the visit to Georgia: "Nancy told to me she was very glad to hear about the unveiling of the Reagan monument in the country, where Joseph Stalin was born. We consider Mikheil Saakashvili as the continuation of Reagan's cause in your part of the world. For this reason, Georgia, must posses the right of free trade with the USA, as Colombia does. . After all these two countries guard democracy in their regions".
Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusive for VK
