US Vice President Mike Pence met today with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. The meeting was held at the Administration of the Government of Georgia. At the beginning of the meeting, Mike Pence thanked the Georgian Government for warm hospitality and reiterated the key message of the US President: America is with Georgia! "We appreciate the 25 years relationship the United States of America has forged with Georgia. We see Georgia as a key strategic partner. We stand by your territorial integrity and aspirations to become a member of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization," Mike Pence stated during the meeting.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili thanked Mike Pence for visiting Georgia, welcoming it as a sign of the US Administration's strong support for Georgia. The parties discussed the key issues of Georgia-US strategic partnership, emphasizing the immense role defense and security cooperation plays in enhancing Georgia's resilience. The importance of the Noble Partner international exercises for ensuring regional security, stability, and peace was also pointed out.
The Prime Minister of Georgia and the US Vice President also discussed the state of affairs in Georgia's occupied territories. Giorgi Kvirikashvili singled out the occupied territories as the country's top problematic issue. According to him, US support is key to peaceful conflict resolution. The Prime Minister of Georgia thanked Mike Pence for the strong and unwavering stance of the US on Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The US Vice President underscored the invaluable contribution of Georgian troops to strengthening international security.
The conversation also involved the reform agenda of the Georgian Government. According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, today the country offers one of the best business environments, with extremely low rates of corruption and red-tape, and equally low taxes, which attracts American businesses. The interest and engagement of American companies in the regional infrastructural projects implemented in Georgia was also assessed as crucial. During the meeting at the Administration of the Government of Georgia, the parties expressed commitment to joining efforts and further deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
