WASHINGTON, November 30 (Itar-Tass) —— The United States hopes for further close cooperation with the Georgian government, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze on Thursday, November 29.
“This is the 20th anniversary of our diplomatic relations and we are very much looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Georgian Government and the Georgian people,” she said.
Clinton noted that “the parliamentary election in October was a successful and important step on the further development of democracy in Georgia, and the move toward fulfilling the Euro-Atlantic aspirations that Georgia has”.
She offered strong support for “the peaceful transition to power that occurred as a result of this election by the new government, and we do hope that everything that is done with respect to prosecuting any potential wrongdoers is done transparently in accord with due process and the rule of law as is befitting of the Georgia dream and the aspirations and sensitivities of the Georgian people”.
Panjikidze said people in Georgia “are very proud that the United States are our strategic partner”.
“And we will talk about the domestic and foreign challenges Georgia is facing today and I hope you will understand our issues and we will count on your help and support in the future,” she said.
The main purpose of Pandzhikidze’s visit to the United States is to foster contacts between the Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s government and the Barack Obama administration.
The minister will also speak at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Washington.
Ivanishvili said his government would develop and deepen cooperation with the U.S. under the Strategic Partnership Charter between Georgia and the U.S. signed on January 9, 2009 in Washington. It calls for bilateral cooperation in such fields as security, defence, economy, trade, science, culture, energy and other areas.