U.S. Delegation To Assess Georgia's Preelection Environment

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Melia (file photo)

U.S. officials say Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas Melia of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor will lead a delegation that will visit Georgia next week to assess the election environment ahead of the country’s parliamentary vote in October.

The delegation will also include officials from USAID and the Departments of Defense and Justice.

During the September 10-12 trip, the State Department says the delegation will urge the government in Tbilisi “to implement Georgia’s electoral laws in a fair, impartial, and transparent manner.”

It is also to urge all political parties “to fully participate in the process while abiding by the law.”