The rich NGOs are trying not to allow the new US Ambassador to restart relations, we hope that [Robin] Dunnigan will also have an active response to all those actions that are directed against the deepening of relations between the two states. Such a statement made the Chairman of the Georgian Dream after the majority meeting.

“Rich and related nongovernmental organizations of Georgia published a letter in which they reprimanded the Georgian authorities for leaving the US sanctions without responding.

As reported to the public, 7 months ago, visa restrictions were imposed on several current and former Georgian judges on behalf of the US Department of State. The Georgian authorities tried to obtain relevant evidence from the partners supporting the accusations but to no avail.

Moreover, we heard a completely unconvincing explanation that the imposition of visa restrictions for judges was based on information received from open sources, that is, televisions, newspapers and other mass media.

Six weeks ago, the citizen of Georgia, Otar Partskhaladze, was included in the US list of sanctioned persons. As the Head of the State Security Service of Georgia explained in the Parliament, the agency requested relevant evidence from its partners. But the Georgian authorities didn’t receive any evidence either in official or private meetings, neither through open nor closed channels. Moreover, the partners themselves asked the Georgian side to obtain and send evidence on the Partskhaladze’s case.

This information shows that the imposition of visa restrictions for judges and the inclusion of Otar Partskhaladze in the list of sanctioned persons were not based on any facts or evidence.

In the past, there were frequent cases when our strategic partner faced difficulties due to the irresponsible actions of rich NGOs. For example, the scandal related to the results of the parallel vote of the elections, with which one of the rich NGOs created the worst inconvenience.

A couple of weeks ago, the new US Ambassador, Robin Dunnigan, arrived in Tbilisi. The highest representatives of our Government have already held [with her] very productive meetings. We have a solid basis for optimism that during Robin Dunnigan’s ambassadorship, the Georgian-American strategic partnership will significantly deepen. In this situation, the statement of the rich NGOs is a step against the positive efforts of the Ambassador, it’s obvious goal is to maintain unwanted misunderstandings in Georgian-US relations.

The imposition of visa restrictions on judges without evidence has created serious discomfort in relations. The corresponding efforts of the NGOs were dictated by the interest in gaining control over the judiciary, among other objectives.

However, we tried our best not to bring this issue to the fore in public discussion, so as not to deepen the embarrassment. Against this background, when rich NGOs themselves are trying to actualize the case wrecked by them, we think this fact deserves special concern.

Exactly the same forces that have been providing distorted information to our partners for a long time, including actively agitating against the granting of candidate status to Georgia, are today trying to keep the old artificial inconveniences on the agenda and thereby create new inconveniences, forcing us not to leave their action without a response.

It is also significant that the rich NGOs are making the above-mentioned announcement against the backdrop of the country waiting for the European Commission"s decision on candidate status. An attack on the authorities a week before the announcement of the decision of the European Commission is nothing but another harsh action directed against the granting of candidate status to Georgia.

It can be seen from everything that rich NGOs don’t serve the interests of Georgia, US or Europe. In fact, they serve the “global war party”, whose main goal is the Ukrainization of Georgia.

The mentioned force and the NGOs in its service do not want the Georgian-American relations to deepen and are trying in every way to maintain the old, negative trend in these relations, which we cannot allow. These NGOs protested the “transparency of foreign funding” law and did not want to make their foreign funding transparent to the public, fearing that their anti-state plans and their sources of funding would be revealed. Now, rich NGOs are trying not to allow the new US ambassador to restart relations and, on the contrary, to damage these relations in some way. We hope that Robin Dunnigan will also have an active response to all the actions that are directed against the deepening of relations between the two states.

We are sure that under the conditions of Mrs. Dunnigan’s ambassadorship, Georgian-US relations and strategic partnership will be significantly deepened, for which we will spare no effort”, - said Irakli Kobakhidze.