2014-02-28
Georgian Prime Minister's working visit to the USA, which can unequivocally be given the highest rating is over.
It is important that Irakli Garibashvili holding the position of the Prime Minister of Georgia for only three months, had unprecedentedly high-rank meetings with all branches of the USA governmental representatives, among them: in White House, State Department and Capitolium.
Me
eting with President Barack Obama who pledged full support to Irakli Garibashvili and, accordingly, Georgian State and thanked him for friendly and reliable partnership and cooperation, is especially significant.
Meeting with president Barack Obama and vice president Joseph Biden was held in Roosevelt Hall of the White House. During the meeting the US highest-rank officials together with Prime Minister of Georgia discussed opportunities for USA-Georgia strategic cooperation, among them in terms of expanding trade and investment relations.
The US president and vice president emphasized their steadfast support to sovereignty of Georgia. After the meeting, the White House published the document stating that the USA will support Georgia in implementation of political, economic and defense reforms.
Apart from meeting with the USA president and vice president, the governmental delegation of Georgia under Prime Minister's leadership, held bilateral meetings with more than 30 the most influential American politicians, among them: US Secretary of States - John Kerry; Senators - John McCain, Roy Blant, Karl Levin, Jeff Sessions, Dick Durbin, members of US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, also congressmen - Mike Conaway, Ted Poe, Devin Nunes, Adam Smith, Nita Lowey, Eliot Engel, Ed Royce, Ted Duetch, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Michael Turner, Buck McKeon.
The first results of the visit are already evident: American congressmen from Democratic and Republican
parties have initiated supportive resolution in regard to Georgia's NATO membership and, as they noted, this joint legislative initiative regarding Georgia represents excellent example of the relationship between parties. The draft resolution - "Confirmation on USA support of Georgia's NATO membership issues" - has been already submitted to Congress for consideration.
The draft resolution states that US House of Representatives supports Georgia's aspirations to join North Atlantic Treaty Organization; recognizes the importance of closer economic and political ties between NATO member countries and Georgia.
In the framework of US visit, Irakli Garibashvili also met with „Millennium Challenge Corporation" 
executive director Daniel Yohannes, representatives of National-democratic Institute, US Trade Representative Michael Froman. Irakli Garibashvili met with businessmen and invited them to Georgia.
Prime Minister of Georgia also met with the World Bank president Jim Yong Kim who expressed his desire to deepen cooperation with Georgia, and among them, regarding support and aid in education sphere.
Georgia-US Strategic Partnership Charter Plenary Session, opened by Georgian Prime Minister and US Secretary of States John Kerry was also significant.
At the session, the first part of which was open to media and was broadcasted live, US Secretary of State announced that USA is ready to increase support to Georgia. "Today I am announcing additional assistance by the United States to help support Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic vision, specifically to help Georgia achieve visa-free travel with the EU and to mitigate the hardships caused by borderization along the occupied territories. We also commend Georgia's progress on economic reform and we urge the government to quickly implement its plans to spur trade and investment including with the U.S. Strict adherence to rule of law and a steadfast commitment to the process will encourage the confidence of the investors and it will serve as a catalyst for integration with Europe and enhance Georgia's international reputation. The U.S. remains committed to strengthening our trade with Georgia".
Within the visit, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili delivered his speech to broad audience at Atlantic Council where over 200 guests were invited.
„It is the testimony to this wonderful leader to have overflow crowd today here and potentially thousands more are watching online or by television. I'm having really the honor of introducing prime minister who I got to known in the course of past for several months."
„We are here today to discuss the remarkable progress and challenges that still lay ahead with the new prime minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili. I had the honor of meeting the prime minister in Munich last month and I'm thrilled to be able to introduce him to all of you today.
Prime minister is co-founder of "Georgia Dream" coalition. Previously served as Georgia's Interior Minister. In this post he instituted number of important reforms including ending the abuse against 
many detainees, destroying illegal judicial surveillance recordings and prohibiting the surveillance of government critics. He closed two controversial police agencies and introduced skills and performance-based testing of the ministry officials."
This was how Prime Minister of Georgia was introduced in North Atlantic Council.
Irakli Garibashvili also gave a public speech at Columbia University where he familiarized the audience with visions and priorities of the Georgian government.
In honor of Prime Minister of Georgia pompous ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery. Such large-scale ceremony organized for Georgian delegation cannot be remembered throughout history of Georgia-USA bilateral relations: 330 soldiers, ceremonial volley shots, national anthems of Georgia and USA, - this was how Georgian Prime Minister was met at Arlington National Cemetery where he laid a wreath at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier.
On completion of his visit, Prime Minister of Georgia met with Georgian Diaspora representatives and informed them in details about ongoing reforms in Georgia.
The Georgian Prime Minister's visit caused unprecedented response in Georgian as well as foreign media. Irakli Garibashvili was interviewed by several leading media sources. Extensive articles were devoted to his visit provided by influential publications, such as:
Reuters - "Georgia PM Says He Hopes Ukraine will Choose Europe"
Chicago Tribune - "US Vows Aid to Georgia to Boost Visa-Free Travel to EU"
Wall Street Journal - "Uneasy Georgia Waits for Russia Reaction to Ukraine"
New York Times - "As Ukraine Crisis Rumbles, Georgian Premier Visits US"
Washington Times -"Georgia PM Garibashvili Eyes NATO Membership, While Keeping Russia at Bay"
Foreign Policy -"Look West Young Man: 31-year-old Prime Minister Turns to Europe, Not Russia"
Associated Press -"US Warns Russia on Ukraine, Nudges Georgia to West"
Agence France Presse - "Kerry Urges Georgia to Sign EU Deal"
Common Space - "It's Time Europe and USA Do Their Best to Support Georgia"
The Hill - "Lawmakers Launch NATO Push with Georgian Leader"
Georgian government delegation led by Irakli Garibashvili included the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maia Panjikidze, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Zalkaniani, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Vice Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alex Petriashvili, head of Investment Agency Giorgi Pertaia, the head of Economic Council of Government Council Roman Chkhenkeli, Chief Deputy of the Government Chancellery Nino Kobakhidze.
Prime Minister's Press Service