2017-08-01
PM Kvirikashvili:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to host in Georgia Mr. Mike Pence, who is not only the Vice President of our country's key strategic partner, the United States of America, but also a great friend whom Georgia has made in such a short period. It is especially exciting that he is visiting Georgia in the company of his spouse.
After our brief introductory meeting in Munich, I was honored to hold meetings in Washington, at the invitation of the Vice President, and today we continue our dialogue in Tbilisi.
Mr. Vice President, your visit very shortly after taking office bears witness to your and President Trump's great desire to deepen your strategic partnership and friendship with Georgia, for which I am very grateful to you.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Throughout this time, America has played a vital role on our country's path toward democratic and economic development, safeguarding Georgia's sovereignty, and NATO membership.
Thanks to your assistance, today Georgia is neither a Soviet nor post-Soviet country. Today we are an EU associated European democracy. Together with the Americans, we are proudly standing guard protecting global security and making our contribution to regional stability.
The Georgian nation deeply appreciates the American people's friendship, solidarity, and strong support.
Mr. Vice President, today we discussed our strategic partnership further in depth. First, I would like to single out and welcome our defense and security cooperation. Your meeting with Georgian and American service members participating in the Noble Partner exercises is an unmistakable demonstration of the strong US support for spurring our country's sovereignty and integration into NATO alike.
This year, we adopted the Joint Action Plan that ensures enhancing Georgia's resilience, which is so crucially important for maintaining the stability and sustainability of Georgia and the region.
The United States of America has provided Georgia with significant financial assistance over these 25 years, and today we are happy to be an increasingly attractive country for American businesses. Today we offer one of the best business environments, extremely low corruption and red-tape rates, and equally low taxes, which is the best opportunity for American businesses to benefit.
Our goal is to put in place the best platform in the region suitable for American business interests. Notably, American companies are taking interest in engaging in large-scale regional infrastructural projects implemented in our country. Along with the Conti Group joining the Anaklia Deep Sea Port Consortium, we welcome the signing of the document on cooperation between the Anaklia Deep Sea Port Consortium and SSA Marine, one of the leading American port operators in the world. According to this document, the SSA Marine will operate the container terminal and invest in this most valuable project in the country today. The foregoing reaffirms the growing interest of American businesses and our country's immense potential for becoming the regional hub.
In the past 25 years, we have implemented numerous energy projects in cooperation with the United States. These projects ensure sustainable Euro-Atlantic energy security, and we are committed to continuing our cooperation in this direction as well.
We are a partner ready for high-level trade and investment relations with the USA based on mutual economic benefits.
Georgia is America's important partner in the region, which, among others, stems from our shared values, such as democracy and human rights. America has played an important role in the building of our democratic institutions. Our democratic development, for its part, is a precondition for developing Georgia as a sustainable and stable state that ensures the protection of the rights of every citizen and preserves our cultural uniqueness.
US support is vital in peaceful resolution of Georgia-Russia conflict. We deeply appreciate the US strong and unwavering stance on Georgia's territorial integrity. The decisions made by President Trump, you personally, Mr. Vice President, and the new Administration and the Congress on Georgia's occupied territories have proved unprecedented.
Today we discussed the serious challenges facing our country as a result of occupation. The US plays a tremendous role in the Geneva International Discussions format. Importantly, through high-level engagement, particular decisions must be sought for ensuring the de-occupation of and security in Georgia's territories, and for political conflict resolution.
In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that Georgia has always been and will always be by the US' side when it comes to any challenge or threat facing the world. Our strategic partnership focuses equally on strengthening security in Georgia, regionally, and worldwide, on promoting peaceful and democratic development.
Once again, I emphasize the importance of this visit and its outcomes. We appreciate the fact that, despite more than one challenge in different parts of the world, the Vice President is visiting Georgia as part of his first European trip.
I am also thankful to our American colleagues for visiting Georgia and their special contribution to deepening our bilateral cooperation.
I am convinced that our joint efforts will further deepen our strategic partnership. At the same time, we are eager to introduce the Vice President, his spouse, and the American guests to Georgia's culture and historical heritage as the pride and joy of the Georgian nation.
Thank you.
VP Pence:
Prime Minister Kvirikashvili thank you so much for those words and for the hospitality you shown me and my family.It was an honor to welcome you to the White House just a few short months ago. And now it is my honor to be welcomed by you to the beautiful and storied nation of Georgia.
The President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump sent me here with a simple message for you and for the people of Georgia: we are with you; we stand with you; we are proud of our friendship and strategic partnership with the nation and the people of Georgia. In a word, I am here to say: America first does not mean America alone. And America stands with Georgia.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the US diplomatic relationship with Georgia. Yet, this is a nation whose roots stretch back to the amiss of history. Sitting at the crossroads of empires and civilizations, where East meets West, where North meets South; Georgia has fostered your own language, your own traditions, your own identity over the millennia. Today the people of Georgia are renowned the world over for your vibrant culture, which, my wife and I enjoyed last night at our first super dinner featuring Georgian cuisine, and a lot of it and traditional song and dance from Abkhazia, South Ossetia and all across Georgia.
We have also been deeply inspired by the rich heritage of faith and my wife and I look forward to visiting the historic Sioni Cathedral and meeting the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church this afternoon. While this may be my first visit to this nation, the enduring courage and spirit of Georgian people have long inspired me. It was only a generation ago that Georgia was still imprisoned in then-Soviet Union. When that brutal regime collapsed, you reclaimed your independence and your freedom. You reached out our hand of friendship to Europe and United States of America and we were proud to reach back.
Today, I commended the Prime Minister for Georgia's democratic development, which has brought Georgia closer to unity with Europe and membership in North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Further progress on the goals that the Prime Minister has set will bring Georgia even closer and NATO even closer to your grasp and it will strengthen the bond between our nations.
Now, nowhere is the bond between our two nations stronger than in our shared effort to promote security and stability across the wider world. Georgia is the key strategic partner of the US. Since 2004, thousands of Georgians have served shoulder to shoulder with Americans in Kosovo, in Iraq and in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan alone, I say with grateful heart, Georgia has provided more troops on a per capita basis than any other country in the world. And 31 brave Georgian soldiers have given their lives for the cause of freedom. American people remember and mourn the sacrifice of your countrymen. They are heroes, all and they and their families will be enshrined in the hearts of American people forever. Later today I will meet with troops participating in the exercise Noble Partner. This initiative has brought together the armed forces of the US, Georgia and many other nations to train together and strengthen Georgia's ability to defend itself. It is only one of many examples of the US' commitment to Georgia's security.
President Trump and I stand by the 2008 NATO Bucharest statement, which made it clear that Georgia will one day become a member of NATO. As I expressed to the Prime Minister, it is heartening to see that Georgia already exceeds the NATO's goal of spending 2 % of its GDP on its national defense. But as we all know, Georgia's investment in defense is an investment born of necessity. At this very moment, just 40 miles from where we stand, Russian tanks stand on occupied territories at South Ossetia. Today, Russia continues to occupy one fifth of Georgian territory. So to be clear, the United States of America strongly condemns Russia's occupation of Georgian soil. The United States support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Under President Trump the United States will reject any claim, at any time, by any nation that undermines this enduring principle. President Trump has called on Russia to seize its destabilizing activities. My purpose here is to reinforce that message to the people of Georgia.
In sign of our commitment President Trump will sign very soon legislation to solid and codify the United States' sanctions against Russia. As always, our country prefers a constructive relationship with Russia, based on cooperation and common interests, but President and our Congress are unified in our message to Russia: a better relationship, lifting of sanctions, will require Russia to reverse the actions that caused sanctions to be imposed in the first place. We hope for better days and we hope for better relations with Russia. But the recent diplomatic action taken by Moscow, I can assure you, will not deter the United States' commitment to our security, that of our allies and freedom loving nations around the world, like Georgia. The US will continue to work with Georgia to reduce your vulnerabilities and counter Russian aggression and so, too will we work with Georgia to deepen our ties of commerce of which the Prime Minister just spoke.
The United States has a keen interest in expanding our trade and investment relationship with Georgia. And your ongoing reforms Mr. Prime Minister have clearly demonstrated your openness and commitment to the stronger commercial partnership with the west. Today I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership focused on bringing greater economic opportunity to all of Georgian citizens. The Anaklia Deep Sea Port shows the potential of a stronger bilateral relationship between our nations. American companies are investing alongside with Georgian counterparts in this multibillion-dollar project. As we look toward the future of our two nations have untold opportunities to contribute even more to each other's prosperity.The US has stood with Georgia for quarter century and under president Trump we will continue to stand with you as partners, as friends and one day we will stand together as allies. Georgia's future is in the west and as the people of Georgia have long declared, our strength is now and always will be in our unity. So thank you Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your hospitality here today and thank you for the strong leadership that you provide for this country. We look forward to working with you for the prosperity and the security of the people of Georgia and of our great nation.
Prime Minister's Press Office