Six U.S. congressmen – Texas republican representatives Jodey Arrington, Bill Flores, Will Hurd, Brian Babin, Randy Weber, as well as Markwayne Mullin – addressed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with a letter, in which they express their concern “with the recent decline in democratic governance and potential corruption in Georgia”.

“Since the Russian oligarch, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and his Georgian Dream Party came to power in 2012, Georgia has been backsliding on progress… We feel assured that the State Department is doing their best to monitor the continued deterioration of the private sector investment environment, especially for U.S. companies as well as the Government of Georgia’s commitment to continued democratic reform and seek to be a NATO ally.

The current government of Georgia is being manipulated by Russian oligarch, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is making efforts to drive out U.S. businesses that have been contributing to the American and Georgian economy for decades. Activities related to Black Sea ports in Georgia endanger critical American national security interests, including:

The deliberate exclusion of American companies from Black Sea port investments/ownership aimed at insulating Georgia from Russian and Chinese influence; and

Deficiencies in enforcing American sanctions against Ira and Russia, especially and specifically in the context of port activities and other related private sector investments.

The fact that the Georgian Parliament still has not passed the necessary electoral reform law which is crucial for the Fall 2020 parliamentary elections to be transparent and fair”, - reads the letter.