The Speaker of Georgian Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze met with the Co-Chairs of the US Congress Democratic Partnership – Peter Roskam and David Price. The parties discussed the bipartisan letter initiated by Peter Roskam and David Price addressing the US trade representative to sign the free trade agreement with Georgia. The Speaker thanked the Congressmen for supporting Georgia and initiating free trade agreement. As Mr. Kobakhidze commented to media, free trade agreement with USA will serve the important message that US is the strong supporter and partner for Georgia. “We had an interesting meeting with the Congressmen Peter Roskam and David Price. We expressed our gratitude to the Congressmen for supporting Georgia. They are our friends and we express special gratitude to them for the initiative related to signing of free trade agreement with Georgia. They have issued the respective letter addressed to the US Trade representative and I hope that the initiative will be successfully finalized. Free trade agreement with USA is paramount for Georgia in economic and political terms. It will serve the strong message to Georgia and to the world community that USA is a strong supporter and partner for Georgia”.
According to P. Roskam, the free trade agreement will further approximate the two countries. “The meeting with the Speaker of Georgian Parliament was very interesting. We once again confirmed our intact loyalty to USA-Georgia relations. We believe that our relations are strong and we want to further extend our relations. I am glad that I and my colleague, David Price support free trade agreement between USA and Georgia as we believe that trade is principal not only in economic terms but it even further approximates the two countries. Reduction of trade barriers and increase of trade opportunities will be beneficial for Georgia and for USA. It will result not only in extended commercial activity but stronger political and strategic alliance”, - P. Roskam stated.
The US Congressmen strive to gain US Administration support to the free trade agreement. “The US Vice President visited Georgia and we know that these key strategic interests are well realized on the Administrative level as well. We create the basis for this as it is the Congress initiating such relations. Our argument is that both parties represented in the Congress unify around the idea to extend free trade agreement with Georgia”, - he stated.
According to D. Price, the Congress will further cooperate with and support Georgia. “We want to continue our relations and thus, become the supporters of other American politics supporting Georgia and extending bilateral relations. Trade is the pillar of this policy. We have to work to overcome the barriers and we hope to be effective”, - D. Price stated.
