This Week in Iran Policy, January 13–17 (January 17) “President Trump and those of us in his national security team are re-establishing deterrence – real deterrence ‒ against the Islamic Republic. In strategic terms, deterrence simply means persuading the other party that the costs of a specific behavior exceed its benefits. It requires credibility; …
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Ambassador Degnan’s swearing-in remarks (January 16) Thank you, U/S Hale, for those generous remarks. Some of my most memorable FS moments come from my time on P Staff, so I feel honored to have you – “P”, the U/S for Political Affairs — here today to administer the oath. I’d like to give a …
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U.S. Sanctions Target Iranian regime’s ‘brute squad’ (January 10) The Trump administration will impose sanctions as long as Iran’s outlaw ways continue, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said January 10 as he outlined new sanctions targeting the Iranian regime’s “brute squad” of top security officials. The new sanctions hit the regime’s senior Iranian …
Read More» Iranian Strikes in Iraq (January 8) Casualties: The President noted in his remarks that there were no casualties; governments of Iraq, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain also reported no casualties among their soldiers in Iraq. Iraqi Protests Against Iran: Iraqi protesters in Nasiriyah reportedly refused to allow supporters …
Read More» Senior State Department Officials On U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria (December 30) MODERATOR: Hey, everybody. Thanks for joining us. Happy New Year, happy 2020. I have a couple of people that all of you know very well. On the phone, we have [Senior State Department Official One], [Senior State Department Official Two], and …
Read More» The U.S. Embassy Statement on the release of Dr. Vazha Gaprindashvili (December 28) We welcome the news that Dr. Vazha Gaprindashvili has been released by the de facto authorities in South Ossetia. We join all Georgians and the international community in welcoming him home to spend the holidays with his family. We again call on …
Read More» Statement after meeting in Washington (December 23) Following recent meetings in Washington between Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent and the Georgian Dream delegation led by Deputy Speaker Kakha Kuchava, the U.S. Department of State released the following statement: Democratic Developments in Georgia The United States supports a secure, prosperous, and democratic Georgia. …
Read More» U.S. Embassy Statement on the sentencing of Dr. Vazha Gaprindashivili (December 20) The government of the United States does not recognize as legitimate the de facto authorities in the occupied region of South Ossetia, nor does it recognize as legitimate today’s sentencing of Dr. Vazha Gaprindashivili. We again call on the de facto authorities, and …
Read More» Human Rights and the Iranian Regime (December 19) SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. Good morning. Thank you, all. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. How are you all doing today? Everybody good? It’s an important day here at the State Department, and I appreciate you all joining us. Bob, thanks for the kind introduction, and I’m delighted …
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The U.S. stands with the Iranian people (December 19) U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo vowed to continue U.S. support for the Iranian people as they struggle against a repressive regime that violates human rights. Pompeo told a December 19 U.S. Department of State forum that recent protests in Iran show that the …
Read More» This Week in Iran Policy (December 13) “As long as [Iran’s] malign behavior continues, so will our campaign of maximum pressure… these sanctions are aimed not at China, not at the Iranian people, but at the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran that is engaged in activity that poses threats around the world…We will …
Read More» U.S. Embassy’s statement on supreme court nominees (December 12) Over recent months the U.S. Embassy has closely watched the process of selection of Georgia’s Supreme Court justices for lifetime appointments. In May we expressed disappointment at Parliament’s adoption of selection procedures that failed to incorporate many of the recommendations of the Venice Commission, OSCE/ODIHR, …
Read More» U.S. Participation in the Geneva International Discussions on the Conflict in Georgia Press statement by the U.S. Delegation (December 12) During the December 10-11 fiftieth round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) on the conflict in Georgia, the U.S. delegation expressed frustration that participants have been unable to make progress on core issues and …
Read More» International Human Rights Day 2019 Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . The formal inception of Human Rights Day dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested …
Read More» Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement in support of the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute (December 6) “Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia has made tremendous strides forward developing democracy and the rule of law—values at the core of …
Read More» U.S. Support for Ukrainian Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity (November 27) The United States reaffirms our unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the lead up to the December 9 Normandy Format Summit among Ukraine, France, Germany, and Russia — the first since 2016. The United States is committed to working with our …
Read More» Secretary Pompeo on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25) In observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25 and the accompanying 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the United States is proud to reaffirm its commitment to defending the rights of …
Read More» This Week in Iran Policy, November 18-22 (November 22) “As Iranians take to the streets in protest, the Ayatollahs in Tehran continue to use violence and imprisonment to oppress their people. The United States’ message is clear: the American people stand with the people of Iran.” – Vice President Mike Pence, Twitter, November 20 …
Read More» U.S. Embassy statement on Parliamentary vote on proportional elections (November 14) As we stated previously, the U.S. Embassy welcomed the Georgian Dream party’s stated intention to transition to fully proportional parliamentary elections in 2020 and considered this an important step in advancing Georgia’s democratic development and strengthening trust among political parties. We are disappointed, therefore, …
Read More» OSCE Report by the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier (November 7) Click here to view the report (PDF, 151 Kb)
Read More» International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (November 2) In far too many places around the world, journalists are killed, tortured, jailed, and harassed for reporting that exposes the abuses of corrupt regimes, undermines the work of terrorist and criminal organizations, gives voice to overlooked communities, and counters disinformation. As of December …
Read More» International Day of Democracy (September 15) On this International Day of Democracy, we reflect on our nation’s unwavering commitment to the unalienable rights that create the foundation of our democracy. In the United States, those rights are defined by respect for individual liberty and human dignity. A vibrant, diverse, and independent civil society is …
Read More» New Sanctions Designations on Iran’s Space Program (September 3) Today, the Department of State designated the Iran Space Agency and two of its research institutes under Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and WMD delivery systems and their supporters – the first time the United States is publicly …
Read More» Statement by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs (August 30) “Russia’s further militarization of South Ossetia is outrageous & unacceptable. Putin and his government continue to recklessly disregard the sovereignty of other nations. Russia must immediately cease its destructive behavior and respect Georgian sovereignty.”
Read More» Statement on Rustavi 2 (July 19) We have watched carefully the situation related to the July 18 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on Rustavi 2. Freedom of speech and a media landscape representative of a plurality of views are foundations of democracy. We encourage the implementation of the Court’s ruling in a …
Read More» Joint Statement on Tbilisi Pride decision to postpone “March of Dignity” (June 22) We welcome the decision by the organizers of Tbilisi Pride to postpone the “March of Dignity” planned for 22 June 2019. Participation in peaceful demonstrations of this sort is an expression of every person’s fundamental human right to freedom of expression …
Read More» Statement on the Fourth Wave of Judicial Reform (June 13) The U.S. Embassy and the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia welcome the final draft legislation on the “fourth wave” of judicial reforms as a result of a broad consensus achieved in the working group composed of different actors, including the international community, civil …
Read More» Joint Declaration on the U.S. – Georgia Strategic Partnership (June 11) Today, on June 11, 2019, and in recognition of the 10th anniversary of our Charter on Strategic Partnership, the United States and Georgia reaffirm our commitment to the U.S. – Georgia strategic partnership and the core principles of our friendship. Since 2009, the …
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NATO’s LANDCOM signs letter of cooperation with Georgia Defence Forces (March 29) TBILISI, Georgia – U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Thomson, Commander of NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM), and Georgian Army Col. Nikoloz Janjgava, First Deputy of Georgia Defence Forces (GDF), signed a letter of cooperation at the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre …
Read More» Human Rights Report for 2018 Preface The United States was founded on the premise that all persons “are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Our Constitution secures these unalienable rights by proclaiming in the First Amendment that …
Read More» Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran’s Destructive Activities Click here to Download the content (PDF, 4 Mb)
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