Joe Biden Says Hello to Poor Leaders of Former USSR

US Vice President Joe Biden is arriving in Georgia for a two-day visit July 22-23. In Tbilisi, Biden will have meetings with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, parliament speaker David Bakradze and prominent oppositionists.

Photo: Joe Biden Says Hello to Poor Leaders of Former USSR

Valery Garbuzov, a senior scientist with the Institute for the USA and Canada, said in an interview with Pravda.Ru that Joe Biden’s visit means that he would be in charge of the US-led foreign politics.

“Biden’s visit means that Washington is not changing its attitude to the countries of the former USSR, including Georgia. It also means that Georgia will sooner or later join NATO despite Saakashvili’s recent pessimistic remarks. It’s only a question of time. The USA has invested too much in the region, and it would be not right to assume that the United States would stop.

“It goes without saying that Saakashvili may approach Biden’s visit as a token of attention from the United States, but it won’t be a decisive factor that will determine Georgia’s policy. Of course, the US administration is not thrilled about the current political situation in Georgia, taking into consideration the fact that the USA treasures democratic values. However, Saakashvili’s regime suppresses opposition in Georgia,” Mr. Garbuzov said.

Sergey Mikheyev, a specialist with the Center for Political Technologies, said that Biden’s visit confirms the USA’s interest in Georgia.

“It is important for the United States to let poor leaders of Eastern Europe and former USSR know that the United States was still with them, the official said.

Biden's national security adviser, Tony Blinken, said that the USA intended to help Ukraine and Georgia become efficient partners with transparent democracies and economic establishments, active civil communities and modern armed forces.

"Our efforts to reset relations with Russia will not come at the expense of any other countries," Blinken said.

"For the United States, we're not seeking to build spheres of influence or to dominate a particular region," Blinken said. "Rather, we are looking for strong partners to help us meet common challenges."

He said none of the capitals should worry about Washington picking sides.

"Let me just emphasize, these partnerships ... they're not going to come at anyone's expense, but they can be to everyone's advantage," The Associated Press quoted Blinken as saying.

Sergey Balmasov
Pravda.Ru

Also read: Georgian aspirations for NATO almost dead