7:56 → 9:14(1m 18s)
Georgia was once a core U.S. partner and a beacon of freedom in the Caucasus. Today, the ruling Georgian Dream party is dragging the country back into Russia’s orbit and deepening their relationship with China and other U.S. adversaries. Over the past few years, Georgian Dream has crippled Georgia’s institutions and further undermined Georgia’s sovereignty by courting Chinese investment while blocking U.S. businesses from Middle Corridor trade and access to Central Asian rare earth minerals. They have jailed opposition, used violence against peaceful protestors, and refused to relinquish their grip on power after elections widely viewed to be illegitimate. This poses an immediate and serious threat to U.S. interests in the region. This hearing will examine the global consequences of Georgia’s slide into authoritarianism. Witnesses will also explore U.S. policy options, such as passage of the bipartisan MEGOBARI Act, to assist the people of Georgia as they seek to maintain their independence and longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship with the United States. Witnesses: 1. President Salome Zourabichvili 2. Tinatin Khidasheli, former Minister of Defense of Georgia 3. Luke Coffey, senior fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute
