US-Georgia forum explores democracy and governance

High officials from the United States (US) are in Tbilisi to meet with Georgian authorities and discuss the ways Georgia is progressing in democracy and governance.

Today in capital Tbilisi top officials from both countries are participating in the ninth session of the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission’s (SPC) Democracy and Governance Working Group.

The Working Group was scheduled to review Georgia’s efforts to further strengthen democratic institutions, political pluralism, media freedom and judicial independence.

At the meeting participants are will also speak about the professionalism of civil servants, the need to increase the level of the government’s accountability and transparency, and to intensify the fight against corruption and trafficking.

Discussions will also focus on the Government’s plans to create a competitive electoral environment for holding free, fair and transparent Parliamentary Elections in October.

The Georgia attendees will be co-chaired by First Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani and First Deputy Minister of Justice Alexandre Baramidze.

The US co-chairs of the Working Group meeting will be Bridget Brink, the Deputy Assistant Secretary from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US Department of State, Thomas Melia, the Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Robert Berschinski, the Deputy Assistant Secretary from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Alina Romanowski, the Coordinator for US Assistance to Europe and Eurasia.

While in Tbilisi the US officials met with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili.