US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss MEGOBARI Act on March 27

According to journalist Alex Raufoglu, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a discussion on the MEGOBARI Act on March 27. Raufoglu, citing congressional sources, reported that the Senate version of the bill (S.868) was formally introduced earlier this week.

The proposed legislation calls on the US President to impose sanctions on officials of Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), and their enablers. Initially, the hearing was scheduled for March 11 but was postponed.

The MEGOBARI Act (Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act) was introduced by US Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen. The bill’s acronym, which means “friend” in Georgian, highlights its goal of reaffirming American support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and democratic development while countering recent policies of the Georgian government.