Ambassador Kelly C. Degnan made her first visit to Gori. She met with Gori Mayor Tavzarashvili and Shida Kartli Governor Khojevanishvili to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the city and the region, as well as the devastating effect on local communities of the continued illegal borderization activities along the Administrative Boundary Line and for the upcoming elections.

The Ambassador also had informative discussions with Gori’s current and future civil society leaders. In a meeting with USAID’s civil society partners in Gori, she heard how local organizations give voice to their communities and help Georgia build a citizen-centered democracy. Meeting with youth participants in USAID’s Promoting Integration, Tolerance, and Awareness (PITA) program, she learned about the needs and perspectives of local youth and thanked them for their important role in ensuring their community’s voices are heard through their civic participation and activism.

Degnan joined Governor Khojevanishvili, Mayor Tazarashvili, and others for a visit to Gori Fortress, where she learned about the fortress’s ongoing transformation into a living history site for tourists and local residents. With support from USAID, officials in Shida Kartli are developing the Gori Fortress into a cultural attraction for domestic and international tourists and a source of employment for local residents.