US Ambassador “shocked” by ruling party MPs comments on EU Ambassador

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said Thursday that she was “shocked” by the recent statement of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party head Irakli Kobakhidze and other GD MPs that the EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell had played a “negative role” in the EU-Georgian relations.

 

“I was really shocked to hear those comments about Ambassador Hartzell. It is so disrespectful to say of someone who worked so hard for four years for Georgia’s European future. It’s hard to imagine anyone who has done more to help Georgia along its European path over the course of his time here,” Degnan said.

 

She stated that she “fully supported” what Hartzell tried “so hard to help Georgia to do, and others should take responsibility for their own acts and acknowledge the very good work that Ambassador Hartzell did while he was in Georgia.”

 

Degnan once again dismissed allegations that she had exercised any pressure on a Georgian judge Lasha Chkhikvadze.

 

 “I feel like I have answered this question a number of times already, but I will answer it one more time. We do not use our programs to sanction or to punish anyone. Our programs are open to judges, prosecutors, attorneys who are interested in attending, qualified to attend, available to attend, and open to benefiting from these exchanges with their US counterparts and US. legal experts,” said the Ambassador.

 

The GD officials said that Degnan should have stated clearly whether the embassy exercised any pressure on a judge in the case of the opposition-minded Mtavari channel head Nika Gvaramia.

 

The judge claimed that he was removed from the embassy-funded programme due to his judgment in the case.