Georgian FM pays first official visit to U.S.
By Sabina Idayatova
Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze started her first official visit to the United States on Wednesday morning.
Panjikidze told journalists before leaving for the U.S. that it is the first official visit by a representative of the new Georgian government to the strategic partner country and stressed its importance.
"This is the first visit to the country, which is our strategic partner, and it is important for us. I will meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with members of Congress and the Senate, as well as with representatives of the local media," Panjikidze said.
Georgia held parliamentary elections on October 1. Tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili's opposition coalition Georgian Dream won the election, after which a new government was formed. Ivanishvili serves as prime minister in the new cabinet.
One of the goals of Panjikidze's visit is arrangement of Prime Minister Ivanishvili`s visit to the U.S. The visit is tentatively scheduled to take place in January.
Ivanishvili told journalists at a press conference last week that his visit to the U.S., previously scheduled for the end of November, has been postponed due to his busy work schedule and will take place in 2013 instead.
"My visit to Brussels [on November 12-14] proved that three-day or four-day absence from Georgia causes many problems. Much should be done. It is necessary to form the [government] team and seriously deal with economic problems. That is why I asked the U.S. to have my visit postponed. The U.S. treated my request favorably."
After the U.S. visit, Panjikidze is due to visit Mexico to participate at the inauguration ceremony of the new president.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rubin is on an official visit to Georgia. After meeting with Ivanishvili and Panjikidze, Rubin met with Giga Bokeria, Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council.
Post-election developments in Georgia and the agenda of the working group operating under the U.S.-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership were discussed at the meeting.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Evelyn Farkas and US Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland were among those attending the meeting, according to Azerbaijan's Trend news agency.
The parties discussed the need for deepening cooperation between the two countries in the areas of defense and security, international security and Georgia's contribution to maintaining it.
The participants of the meeting stressed that the further deepening of cooperation in defense and security is an important factor not only for Georgia`s security and its Euro-Atlantic integration, but also for regional stability.
The meeting reviewed other important foreign policy issues such as Georgian-Russian relations. The emphasis was also on the parliamentary elections held in Georgia and post-election development.