TBILISI, DFWatch–Four members of the US Congress have appealed to Secretary of State John Kerry to use the full diplomatic resources of his department to avert a political crisis in Georgia.

The magazine The Hill on Friday published a letter signed by Michael Turner, Chairman of the US Delegation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mario Diaz-Balart, Chairman of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, and Bill Shuster and Allyson Schwartz, both co-chairs of the Congressional Georgia Caucus.

The authors of the letter express their gravest concern about the recent events in Georgia, which in their opinion threaten Georgia’s recent democratic advances.


The letter references the events on February 8 in front of the National Library, where the president had planned to hold his address to the nation, but former political prisoners and other activists clashed with National Movement activists and members of parliament and prevented them from entering the building. The speech was moved to the president’s residence later in the evening. Many people were beaten that day.

“In the interest of protecting the rights and liberties of the Georgian people and preserving the fledgling Georgian democratic institutions, we ask that you take steps to affirm the United States’ interests in a free and democratic Georgia,” the representatives implore Kerry.

“We encourage you to utilize the full diplomatic resources of the State Department to respond to this emerging crisis.”