Washington considers suspending aid programs for Georgia

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joshua Huck has said Washington is working on the potential redirection or suspension of aid programs for Georgia.

He made the remarks during his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on

Europe on the topic “A Look at US Policy in Georgia and Moldova Ahead of Their 2024 Elections,” News.Az reports. "We are working closely with interagency colleagues on additional steps, including potential redirection or suspension of assistance programs and the cancellation of political engagements," Huck noted. This announcement underscores the United States' increasing concern over the political direction of Georgia.

He recalled that the Department of Defense recently announced indefinite postponement of a military exercise in Georgia.

“On June 6, we took steps to impose visa restrictions on dozens of Georgian ruling party officials, parliamentarians, and law enforcement personnel responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia,” Huck added.

The controversy centres around a new law on foreign agents, passed by the Georgian parliament on May 14. The law, supported by 84 deputies and opposed by 30, with 58 abstaining, has drawn significant criticism both domestically and internationally. President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed the bill, labelling it a "Russian law," but the parliament subsequently overrode her veto.

News.Az