TBILISI -- The United States has been the strongest supporter of the Georgian people in a relationship that is now strained, the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan said in an interview with RFE/RL, calling the situation “extremely unfortunate and deeply disappointing.”
Dunnigan, who spoke with RFE/RL on October 3 just ahead of her one-year anniversary as ambassador, said she arrived in Tbilisi with ambitious plans to strengthen economic and military ties between the United States and Georgia and to increase people-to-people exchanges.
"Unfortunately, some of that had to be put on hold because of specific actions that the [Georgian] government has taken,” she said.
Dunnigan said relations started to sour in January when the government in Tbilisi started a series of anti-democratic actions, including a foreign influence law and other legislation that Washington views as “being in contrast to the values of the United States and the EU and not in line with EU norms.”
In addition, there has been increasing “negative rhetoric and disinformation about the United States, including about our actions in this country and our intentions in this country,” she said.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has been under fire from Georgia’s Western allies since it introduced a "foreign agent" law that is modeled on a similar measure in Russia, where it has been gradually expanded to encompass civil society groups, human rights activists, media organizations, and others.
The result has been the closure of dozens of organizations, the stifling of media and independent voices, and an exodus of activists and journalists from the country.
SEE ALSO: How Georgia's Ruling Party Is Using Laws On 'Foreign Agents' And 'Gay Propaganda' To Maintain Its Grip On PowerMany fear the same fate awaits Georgia following the passage of its own law in May, a move that prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to announce a comprehensive review of U.S.-Georgian relations.
“We did implement some consequences with the hope that the government would reverse course and go back to a path that gives the Georgian people what they have so clearly said they want, which is a future integrated with the West, a close relationship with the United States, and EU membership," Dunnigan noted.
The ruling Georgian Dream party insists that the new law was needed to ensure transparency in the country's political scene and to protect its sovereignty. At the same time, the government denied heavy-handed tactics were used against demonstrators who held days of demonstrations against the legislation.
Dunnigan said that, while Washington remains committed to helping the Georgian people achieve their dream of being part of the European Union, the actions of the government have taken it off that path.
Her wish is that the government will reverse course.
“We would like nothing more than to work with any democratically elected government in this country that reflects what the people of Georgia have overwhelmingly said they want,” she said.
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U.S. Ambassador Says Washington Happy 'To Work With Any Democratically Elected Government' In Georgia
Dunnigan said sanctions that were announced on September 16 were “extremely targeted” on two Georgian government officials and two Georgian leaders of a violent extremist group who the United States believes have engaged in anti-democratic actions or disinformation.
The State Department said when announcing the sanctions on the four individuals that more than 60 others will face new sanctions, including steps to impose visa restrictions on them and family members "responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia."
Dunnigan would not confirm or deny that that the United States is considering more sanctions but said it was possible that some further sanctions could be imposed before national elections on October 26. She also reiterated Blinken's comment that none of the foreign policy tools available are ruled out and “those tools include sanctions.”
Georgian Dream, which opinion polls show is the country’s single most popular party, “absolutely” still has some chances to improve relations with the United States, Dunnigan said.
After emphasizing that the United States wants to work with whatever government is democratically elected, she said Georgian Dream currently is the democratically elected government and might be after the election.
“We want to have open communication with this government,” she said. “We don’t choose who wins or loses.”
SEE ALSO: Georgian Rural Voters Care More About Grape Prices Than GeopoliticsBut she also expressed some frustration over the government saying that things will be better after the election, asking, “Why not now?”
She noted that the United States has been very clear that the steps that would improve relations include ceasing disinformation and negative rhetoric about the United States and the West, making progress on the steps to keep the EU accession process moving, and bringing legislation that has been implemented into line with European norms.
This might require withdrawing the legislation altogether, she said, adding, “That would also help.”