U.S. senators — Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee Chair on European and Regional Security Cooperation, Senate Armed Services Committee Senior Member Gene Shaheen, and Senate Majority Senior Member, Senate Ukraine Caucus Chair Dick Durbin — issued a statement following their official visit to Georgia and Romania. The text of the senators’ statement was distributed by the US Embassy in Georgia.
As noted in the statement, they will visit Georgia and Romania after participating in the Munich Security Forum 2023. As part of the visit, Shaheen and Durbin will meet with heads of state, legislators and civil society representatives to discuss bilateral relations between the countries, as well as the geopolitical significance of the Black Sea region, according to the statement.
“The Black Sea is a major geopolitical region for European security, especially in light of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is already acting to expand his malign influence in the region, and we know his hegemonic ambitions go beyond taking over Ukraine. It is important that the US actively cooperate with its Black Sea partners and formulate a stronger policy towards the region. This is exactly what I intend to discuss over the next few days. Georgia has important elections ahead and an opportunity to advance the democratic agenda. I urge our partners to give priority to these issues in order to work towards creating a better future for the Georgian people and achieving greater stability in the region.
I also look forward to meeting our allies in Romania. Romania is an important NATO member that has played a prominent role on the Ukrainian front of the war, facilitating the flow of Western equipment to support the fight against Putin and helping refugees fleeing the violence. There are many things to discuss and I appreciate the opportunity to speak face-to-face with our partners and allies,” Senator Gene Shaheen said in a statement.
According to Senator Dick Durbin, Georgia is well aware of the threat posed by Putin. “Georgia, which survived Russia’s brazen military takeover of Georgian lands in 2008, is very aware of the threat posed by Putin. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a great prospect of defining the country’s future directly within the framework of transatlantic democracies – a vision that has not yet been fully realized, but which I hope will be further encouraged during this visit. Romania has also seen up close the consequences of Putin’s war crimes in neighboring Ukraine and has shown firmness as an important member of NATO and the European Union. I look forward to discussing this important effort and visiting NATO forces while there,” Senator Dick Durbin said in a statement, according to the Public Broadcaster.
Source: Ekhokavkaza
