TBILISI, DFWatch–Maya Pankikidze, Foreign Affairs Minister of Georgia, is on a visit to the United States and will today attend a reception in Washington organized by the Georgian embassy to mark Independence Day of Georgia.

She will also meet with Miriam Sapiro, Deputy United States Trade Representative, to discuss trade and economic relations between the two countries.

Davit Jalaghania, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, said at Monday’s briefing that Panjikidze will also meet with Eric Rubin, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and will discuss issues of strategic cooperation with the US.

The foreign minister will meet with members of the US Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as representatives of the National Security Council and security analysts.

After visiting Washington, Pankikidze’s visit will continue to New York on June 5 to meet with high officials of the US and discuss the recent problems in the breakaway regions of Georgia, including the moving of the border near South Ossetia.