Title: A resolution urging all parties in Georgia to seek prompt implementation of the agreement signed on April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the Senate for Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic community.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution calls on the political parties elected to the Parliament of Georgia to implement the April 19, 2021, agreement between the parties. The resolution also calls on the government of Georgia to institute systemic reforms to ensure that the country's judicial system is impartial and independent.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 176 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 176

  Urging all parties in Georgia to seek prompt implementation of the 
agreement signed on April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the 
   Senate for Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the 
     aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic community.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 22, 2021

 Mr. Johnson (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Risch) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Urging all parties in Georgia to seek prompt implementation of the 
agreement signed on April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the 
   Senate for Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the 
     aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic community.

Whereas, on April 9, 1991, Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union, 
        and on March 24, 1992, the United States and Georgia established formal 
        diplomatic relations;
Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of Georgia has been reaffirmed by 
        the international community and numerous United Nations Security Council 
        resolutions;
Whereas, at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
        (NATO) recognized the aspirations of Georgia to join NATO and agreed 
        that Georgia would become a member of the Alliance;
Whereas, on January 9, 2009, the United States and Georgia signed the United 
        States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, affirming the close 
        relationship between the United States and Georgia based on the shared 
        principles of democracy, free markets, defense and security cooperation, 
        and cultural exchanges;
Whereas Georgia has made significant contributions to the wars in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan and remains the largest troop contributor among NATO 
        partners to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan;
Whereas the United States supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of 
        Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and condemns the 
        continued occupation by the Russian Federation of the Georgian regions 
        of South Ossetia and Abkhazia;
Whereas, in March 2020, the United States and several embassies of European 
        countries in Georgia brokered an agreement among the major political 
        parties in Georgia, which included changes to the electoral system and 
        called on all sides to address the appearance of political interference 
        in the judicial system;
Whereas, on June 29, 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted constitutional 
        amendments, establishing a more proportional electoral system and 
        promoting greater political pluralism in future parliaments;
Whereas the United States Embassy in Tbilisi applauded Georgia's electoral 
        reforms and urged the Parliament of Georgia to pass additional 
        legislation that fully incorporates all of the recommendations of the 
        Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization 
        for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) and urged Georgian 
        authorities to effectively implement such legislation;
Whereas, on October 31, 2020, Georgia held its first parliamentary elections 
        since adopting the electoral reforms in June 2020;
Whereas the OSCE/ODIHR limited election observation team detailed a number of 
        flaws and partially or completely unimplemented OSCE/ODIHR 
        recommendations, but also concluded that the first round of the October 
        2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia was ``competitive and, overall, 
        fundamental freedoms were respected'';
Whereas the United States Embassy in Tbilisi shared the OSCE/ODIHR's assessment 
        of the first round of elections and stressed the importance of fully 
        addressing the deficiencies noted by the OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election 
        Observation Mission Preliminary Report before the second round of 
        elections in November 2020;
Whereas the Georgian opposition refused to recognize the legitimacy of the 
        October 2020 elections, boycotted the second round of elections, called 
        for public voter intimidation of anyone voting in the second round of 
        elections, and declined to take their seats in parliament;
Whereas, on February 23, 2021, Georgian authorities entered the headquarters of 
        United National Movement (UNM) and arrested its leader Nikanor Melia on 
        a bail violation;
Whereas, on March 23, 2021, the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security 
        Cooperation of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate held a 
        hearing on Georgia to examine the political situation and to highlight 
        the actions that the Government of Georgia and the opposition could take 
        in order to resolve the impasse and move the country forward;
Whereas, in that hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent 
        testified that the Russian Federation uses its illegal occupation of 
        Abkhazia and South Ossetia, ``economic leverage, cyber attacks, and 
        disinformation to try to force Georgia to abandon its Euro-Atlantic 
        aspirations and to sow division and distrust'';
Whereas, at the same hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary Kent testified, 
        ``Georgia has real work to do in strengthening its democracy . . . 
        Georgia's commitment to democracy and the rule of law is a fundamental 
        element of our strategic relationship, as well as the precondition for 
        the country's further progress.''; and
Whereas international mediation efforts to resolve the political impasse in 
        Georgia led to an agreement signed on April 19, 2021, by representatives 
        of several political parties and individual Members of Parliament: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) calls on Georgian Dream, United National Movement, and 
        the other parties elected to the Parliament of Georgia to fully 
        implement the compromise proposed by European Council President 
        Michel on April 18, 2021, and signed on April 19, 2021;
            (2) calls on all elected Members of Parliament to take 
        their seats in parliament and begin work without further delay 
        on the challenges facing Georgia, including consequences of the 
        COVID-19 pandemic, a weakened economy, and challenging regional 
        dynamics;
            (3) calls on the Government of Georgia to institute 
        systemic reforms, developed through an inclusive and 
        transparent consultation process with stakeholders, to ensure 
        that the judicial system is impartial and independent and not 
        used for political or partisan ends, including by fully 
        adopting and implementing the recommendations of the European 
        Commission for Democracy through Law (commonly known as the 
        ``Venice Commission'') and other experts;
            (4) calls on the Government of Georgia to institute 
        inclusively and transparently developed systemic electoral 
        reforms to address the underlying causes of the political 
        impasse and avoid a recurrence of such a crisis, including by 
        fully adopting and implementing the recommendations of the 
        Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the 
        Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/
        ODIHR);
            (5) recognizes that the political situation in Georgia has 
        been exacerbated by the efforts of the Russian Federation to 
        sow chaos throughout Georgia, including the illegally occupied 
        territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
            (6) expresses concern that impediments to strengthening 
        Georgia's democratic institutions and processes will slow its 
        progress toward achieving its aspiration of Euro-Atlantic 
        integration and strengthening its economy and could result in 
        conditions placed on United States assistance to Georgia; and
            (7) emphasizes that the United States supports a more 
        robust democracy in Georgia, with governing institutions that 
        demonstrate integrity, checks and balances, transparency, the 
        capacity to counter Russian and other malign influence, and the 
        ability to achieve the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the people 
        of Georgia.
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