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US pauses $95mln in aid program for Georgia — Blinken

According to the US Secretary of State, Georgian officials’ actions and statements "are incompatible with membership norms in the EU and NATO"

WASHINGTON, July 31. /TASS/. The United States administration has decided to suspend the assistance program for Georgia over the foreign agents law passed by Tbilisi, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

"On May 23, after anti-democratic actions by the Georgian government, I announced a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia. As a result of that review, the United States is pausing more than $95 million in assistance that directly benefits the Government of Georgia," the top US diplomat said in a statement.

According to Blinken, Georgian officials’ actions and statements "are incompatible with membership norms in the EU and NATO." "While we are pausing our assistance to the Government of Georgia due to those actions, the United States will continue assistance to programs and activities that benefit the people of Georgia by strengthening democracy, rule of law, independent media, and economic development," he stressed.

Blinken recalled that over the years of Georgia’s independence, Washington has provided Tbilisi with "over $6.2 billion in assistance, contributing to the development and strengthening of Georgia’s economy and democratic institutions."

On Wednesday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze labeled as blackmail the remarks of US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien about the possibility of slapping more sanctions on that South Caucasian country. Georgia’s prime minister reminded the United States that when former President Mikhail Saakashvili’s government was in office from 2004 to 2012, human rights were violated in the country, but at that time Washington imposed no sanctions, but on the contrary, cooperated with Saakashvili’s authorities.

Georgia’s relations with the US, as well as with the EU, turned sour in the wake of the foreign agents law passed by the Georgian parliament in May. The Department of State earlier said that due to the law, the US would impose visa sanctions on dozens of Georgian nationals, including members of the government and parliament, their relatives and law enforcement officials.

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