Ambassador Tefft Hosts Humphrey Alumni for a Reunion Event

Ambassador John Tefft greeted the five Humphrey program alumni and the two 2008-2009 finalists at his residence for the first Humphrey reunion event. Public Affairs Officer, Cynthia Whittlesey, and Cultural Affairs Assistant, Sophie Bzishvili, also attended. Participants had an excellent opportunity to meet with one another and share impressions about the program and their time in the U.S.  Ambassador Tefft answered a number of alumni’s questions related to the U.S.-Georgian relationship, Georgia’s foreign policy, conflict zones and Georgia’s integration into NATO.  (More)

Judge Walker Supports Rule of Law in Tbilisi

“What I see in Georgia that is refreshing, is that the demand for judicial reform is coming from the government and the people, and isn’t being imposed from without” observed Judge John M. Walker Jr., Senior Justice of the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals at the start of an engaging lecture with law students at the Georgian Institute for Public Administration.  (More)

USAID opens new building, celebrates 15 years work

“USAID has played a very important role in helping to build this country; without their support we would not have made the progress we have been able to make” said  Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava as USAID opened its new building on the embassy compound on July 23rd.   (More)

President Saakashvili visits joint military exercise in Vaziani

July 21 President Saakashvili visited Immediate Response 08 at Vaziani base to see firsthand the training exercises underway involving soldiers from the US, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Ukraine. Immediate Response 08 has been planned since 2006 and is training troops in the spirit of the Partnership for Peace.  (More)

International Conference on Judicial Independence and Legal Education

The USAID American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, in cooperation with the Supreme Court of Georgia, hosted an international conference on judicial independence and legal education, in Tbilisi, on July 18-19. Ambassador John Tefft warmly greeted the participants on the first day. Participants and speakers included the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Konstantin Kublashvili; President of the Constitutional Court, Giorgi Papaushvili; judges from Germany, Norway, Estonia, Romania, the United States and throughout Georgia; the Deans from two American law schools; and numerous other dignitaries and leaders from the Georgian judiciary and law faculties.  (More)

Secretary Rice Visits Georgia

Secretary Rice met with President Saakashvili, the Foreign Minister and members of the government, and with opposition and civil society figures during her visit to Tbilisi, July 9-10.  Secretary Rice stressed that Georgia needs to continue to develop a strong parliament, strong independent media, a strong civil society, and an independent judiciary.  The Secretary also said, “We need to elevate (talks on Georgia’s frozen conflicts). … We need (to talk) more intensively and at a higher level.”   The Secretary’s visit was widely covered in local, regional (including Russian), and international media.  She gave an exclusive interview to Rustavi 2’s David Kikalishvili – a recent TV Co-op participant – which was aired Saturday, July 13 (photo gallery)

US Senate resolution on the Russian Federation

July 14 The US Senate unanimously passed a resolution critical of recent Russian political actions, including actions in Abkhazia. Recent Russian actions in Abkhazia are mentioned in the resolution.  “…the Government of the Russian Federation has attempted to undermine the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia through its support of the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia … the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia has concluded that a military aircraft belonging to the Russian Federation shot down an unarmed Georgian drone on April 20, 2008, while flying over Abkhazia.”  (More)

U.S. Embassy Statement on Russian Aircraft Fly Over Georgia’s South Ossetia region - July 14, 2008

The United States is dismayed by the recent escalation in violence in the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and calls upon all sides to return to direct negotiations and resolve their differences peacefully.  We are deeply troubled by Russia’s statement that its military aircraft deliberately violated Georgia’s internationally recognized borders by flying over Georgia’s region of South Ossetia.  Such actions are only inflammatory and complicate diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. 

We urge all members of the international community, including Russia, to support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, as called for by numerous U.N Security Council resolutions, including most recently UNSCR 1808 in April 2008.  The United States fully supports and is actively engaged in the Friends of the Secretary General process and believes that the efforts of the Friends group will lead to a settlement of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

May 2008 Georgian Parliamentary Election Monitoring Interactive Map

Embassy Tbilisi has compiled reports and photos from pre-election visits and election day monitoring. This interactive feature explains what USAID and the embassy did to promote free and fair elections. Overall, observers noted that there was real progress in this election compared to the January presidential election. However, significant problems and challenges still remain. Click on different cities and regions on the map to learn more. (map)

The Caucasus: Frozen Conflicts and Closed Borders

Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs
Statement before the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Washington, DC, June 18, 2008

"Before the 2003 Rose Revolution, Georgia was often described as a country near collapse – a “failed state.” Since the Rose Revolution, however, Georgia has enjoyed rapid growth and a marked decline in corruption (more)

Embassy Highlights

Ambassador Tefft Meets Future Leaders (FLEX)
On July 17, 2008, fifty newly-selected Future Leaders’ Exchange Program (FLEX) participants and newly-returned FLEX alumni gathered at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence.  FLEX alumni spoke about their experiences in the U.S.  Sopho Asatiani and Shalva Merebashvili showed photographs of themselves with Hillary Clinton and John McCain, respectively.  (more)

Jazz Celebrates Freedom on Independence Day
The U.S. 6th Fleet Naval Forces Europe Band, "The Diplomats," together with the Tbilisi Municipality Big Band, gave a magnificent public jazz concert in honor of U.S. Independence Day on Saturday, July 5. In welcoming the audience, Ambassador John Tefft quoted John Adams, saying that July 4th should be celebrated with "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." (more)

American Corners students learn about the United States' struggle for and celebration of independence
Backyard fireworks, potluck picnics and three-legged races were some of the 4th of July traditions American Corners students found interesting when learning about U.S. Independence Day. Knowing more about the history and seeing the excitement for celebrating independence day in the U.S., some Georgian students expressed hope that Georgian Independence Day traditions will grow, noting that the holiday is only 15 years old. (more)

Ambassador Tefft Awards Winners of Domestic Violence Essay Contest
“I want to live in a new Georgia, with people of high morals free from domestic violence,” Nana Lartsuliani, a 9th grade student from the Ambrolauri Public School in Racha (mountainous region of Georgia) wrote in her essay on domestic violence.  (more)

United States Park Police conduct training for Georgia's horse-mounted patrol unit 

From May 13-June 13, 2008 the United States Park Police conducted training for Georgia's newly formed horse-mounted patrol unit.  Following an assessment last November, the U.S. Park Police (USPP) developed a training plan to improve the riding and law enforcement skills of Georgia's horse-mounted unit.  (more)

New Mexico State Police captains conduct a training course for the Tbilisi Patrol Police entitled "Traffic Control and Enforcement." 

From June 2-6, 2008, Captains Richard Williams and Robert Shilling from the New Mexico State Police conducted a training course for the Patrol Police entitled "Traffic Control and Enforcement."  The students learned effective skills for directing traffic on Tbilisi's busy streets, how to deal with traffic violations, accidents, and high-risk vehicle stops in a safe and professional manner  (more)