[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 176 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>
                                                        Calendar No. 94
117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 176

  Urging all parties in Georgia to seek prompt implementation of the 
agreement signed on April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the 
   Senate for Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the 
     aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic community.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 22, 2021

Mr. Johnson (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Risch, Mr. Van Hollen, and 
Mr. Barrasso) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

                             June 24, 2021

  Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                 preamble and an amendment to the title
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
      [Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Urging all parties in Georgia to seek prompt implementation of the 
agreement signed on April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the 
   Senate for Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the 
     aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic community.

Whereas, on April 9, 1991, Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union, 
        and on March 24, 1992, the United States and Georgia established formal 
        diplomatic relations;
Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of Georgia has been reaffirmed by 
        the international community and numerous United Nations Security Council 
        resolutions;
Whereas, at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
        (NATO) recognized the aspirations of Georgia to join NATO and agreed 
        that Georgia would become a member of the Alliance;
Whereas, on January 9, 2009, the United States and Georgia signed the United 
        States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, affirming the close 
        relationship between the United States and Georgia based on the shared 
        principles of democracy, free markets, defense and security cooperation, 
        and cultural exchanges;
Whereas Georgia has made significant contributions to the wars in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan and remains the largest troop contributor among NATO 
        partners to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan;
Whereas the United States supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of 
        Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and condemns the 
        continued occupation by the Russian Federation of the Georgian regions 
        of South Ossetia and Abkhazia;
Whereas, in March 2020, the United States and several embassies of European 
        countries in Georgia brokered an agreement among the major political 
        parties in Georgia, which included changes to the electoral system and 
        called on all sides to address the appearance of political interference 
        in the judicial system;
Whereas, on June 29, 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted constitutional 
        amendments, establishing a more proportional electoral system and 
        promoting greater political pluralism in future parliaments;
Whereas the United States Embassy in Tbilisi applauded Georgia's electoral 
        reforms and urged the Parliament of Georgia to pass additional 
        legislation that fully incorporates all of the recommendations of the 
        Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization 
        for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) and urged Georgian 
        authorities to effectively implement such legislation;
Whereas, on October 31, 2020, Georgia held its first parliamentary elections 
        since adopting the electoral reforms in June 2020;
Whereas the OSCE/ODIHR limited election observation team detailed a number of 
        flaws and partially or completely unimplemented OSCE/ODIHR 
        recommendations, but also concluded that the first round of the October 
        2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia was ``competitive and, overall, 
        fundamental freedoms were respected'';
Whereas the United States Embassy in Tbilisi shared the OSCE/ODIHR's assessment 
        of the first round of elections and stressed the importance of fully 
        addressing the deficiencies noted by the OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election 
        Observation Mission Preliminary Report before the second round of 
        elections in November 2020;
Whereas the Georgian opposition refused to recognize the legitimacy of the 
        October 2020 elections, boycotted the second round of elections, called 
        for public voter intimidation of anyone voting in the second round of 
        elections, and declined to take their seats in parliament;
Whereas, on February 23, 2021, Georgian authorities entered the headquarters of 
        United National Movement (UNM) and arrested its leader Nikanor Melia on 
        a bail violation;
Whereas, on March 23, 2021, the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security 
        Cooperation of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate held a 
        hearing on Georgia to examine the political situation and to highlight 
        the actions that the Government of Georgia and the opposition could take 
        in order to resolve the impasse and move the country forward;
Whereas, in that hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent 
        testified that the Russian Federation uses its illegal occupation of 
        Abkhazia and South Ossetia, ``economic leverage, cyber attacks, and 
        disinformation to try to force Georgia to abandon its Euro-Atlantic 
        aspirations and to sow division and distrust'';
Whereas, at the same hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary Kent testified, 
        ``Georgia has real work to do in strengthening its democracy . . . 
        Georgia's commitment to democracy and the rule of law is a fundamental 
        element of our strategic relationship, as well as the precondition for 
        the country's further progress.''; and
Whereas international mediation efforts to resolve the political impasse in 
        Georgia led to an agreement signed on April 19, 2021, by representatives 
        of several political parties and individual Members of Parliament: Now, 
        therefore, be it
Whereas, on April 9, 1991, Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union, 
        and on March 24, 1992, the United States and Georgia established formal 
        diplomatic relations;
Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of Georgia has been reaffirmed by 
        the international community and numerous United Nations Security Council 
        resolutions;
Whereas, at the 2008 Summit in Bucharest, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
        (NATO) recognized the aspirations of Georgia to join NATO and agreed 
        that Georgia would become a member of the Alliance;
Whereas, on January 9, 2009, the United States and Georgia signed the United 
        States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, affirming the close 
        relationship between the United States and Georgia based on the shared 
        principles of democracy, free markets, defense and security cooperation, 
        and cultural exchanges;
Whereas Georgia has made significant contributions to the wars in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan and was the largest troop contributor among NATO partners to 
        the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan;
Whereas the United States supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of 
        Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and condemns the 
        continued occupation by the Russian Federation of the Georgian regions 
        of South Ossetia and Abkhazia;
Whereas, in March 2020, the United States and several embassies of European 
        countries in Georgia brokered an agreement among the major political 
        parties in Georgia, which included changes to the electoral system and 
        called on all sides to address the appearance of political interference 
        in the judicial system;
Whereas, on June 29, 2020, the Parliament of Georgia adopted constitutional 
        amendments, establishing a more proportional electoral system and 
        promoting greater political pluralism in future parliaments;
Whereas the United States Embassy in Tbilisi applauded Georgia's electoral 
        reforms and urged the Parliament of Georgia to pass additional 
        legislation that fully incorporates all of the recommendations of the 
        Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization 
        for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) and urged Georgian 
        authorities to effectively implement such legislation;
Whereas, on October 31, 2020, Georgia held its first parliamentary elections 
        since adopting the electoral reforms in June 2020;
Whereas the OSCE/ODIHR limited election observation team detailed a number of 
        flaws and partially or completely unimplemented OSCE/ODIHR 
        recommendations, but also concluded that the first round of the October 
        2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia was ``competitive and, overall, 
        fundamental freedoms were respected'';
Whereas the United States Embassy in Tbilisi shared the OSCE/ODIHR's assessment 
        of the first round of elections and stressed the importance of fully 
        addressing the deficiencies noted by the OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election 
        Observation Mission Preliminary Report before the second round of 
        elections in November 2020;
Whereas the Georgian opposition refused to recognize the legitimacy of the 
        October 2020 elections, boycotted the second round of elections, called 
        for public voter intimidation of anyone voting in the second round of 
        elections, and declined to take their seats in parliament;
Whereas, on February 23, 2021, Georgian authorities entered the headquarters of 
        the United National Movement (UNM) and arrested its leader Nikanor Melia 
        on a bail violation;
Whereas, on March 23, 2021, the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security 
        Cooperation of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate held a 
        hearing on Georgia to examine the political situation and to highlight 
        the actions that the Government of Georgia and the opposition could take 
        in order to resolve the impasse and move the country forward;
Whereas, in that hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent 
        testified that the Russian Federation uses its illegal occupation of 
        Abkhazia and South Ossetia, ``economic leverage, cyber attacks, and 
        disinformation to try to force Georgia to abandon its Euro-Atlantic 
        aspirations and to sow division and distrust'';
Whereas, at the same hearing, Deputy Assistant Secretary Kent testified, 
        ``Georgia has real work to do in strengthening its democracy . . . 
        Georgia's commitment to democracy and the rule of law is a fundamental 
        element of our strategic relationship, as well as the precondition for 
        the country's further progress.'';
Whereas international mediation efforts to resolve the political impasse in 
        Georgia led to an agreement signed on April 19, 2021, by representatives 
        of several political parties and individual Members of Parliament; and
Whereas Georgian authorities pardoned opposition figure Giorgi Rurua, and 
        Nikanor Melia was released on bail while awaiting final passage of an 
        amnesty bill, in line with the April 19 agreement: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
        <DELETED>    (1) calls on Georgian Dream, United National 
        Movement, and the other parties elected to the Parliament of 
        Georgia to fully implement the compromise proposed by European 
        Council President Michel on April 18, 2021, and signed on April 
        19, 2021;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) calls on all elected Members of Parliament to 
        take their seats in parliament and begin work without further 
        delay on the challenges facing Georgia, including consequences 
        of the COVID-19 pandemic, a weakened economy, and challenging 
        regional dynamics;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) calls on the Government of Georgia to 
        institute systemic reforms, developed through an inclusive and 
        transparent consultation process with stakeholders, to ensure 
        that the judicial system is impartial and independent and not 
        used for political or partisan ends, including by fully 
        adopting and implementing the recommendations of the European 
        Commission for Democracy through Law (commonly known as the 
        ``Venice Commission'') and other experts;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) calls on the Government of Georgia to 
        institute inclusively and transparently developed systemic 
        electoral reforms to address the underlying causes of the 
        political impasse and avoid a recurrence of such a crisis, 
        including by fully adopting and implementing the 
        recommendations of the Office for Democratic Institutions and 
        Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation 
        in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) recognizes that the political situation in 
        Georgia has been exacerbated by the efforts of the Russian 
        Federation to sow chaos throughout Georgia, including the 
        illegally occupied territories of Abkhazia and South 
        Ossetia;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) expresses concern that impediments to 
        strengthening Georgia's democratic institutions and processes 
        will slow its progress toward achieving its aspiration of Euro-
        Atlantic integration and strengthening its economy and could 
        result in conditions placed on United States assistance to 
        Georgia; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) emphasizes that the United States supports a 
        more robust democracy in Georgia, with governing institutions 
        that demonstrate integrity, checks and balances, transparency, 
        the capacity to counter Russian and other malign influence, and 
        the ability to achieve the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the 
        people of Georgia.</DELETED>
That the Senate--
            (1) welcomes the decision by most political parties in 
        Georgia to sign the agreement mediated under the auspices of 
        the European Union and the United States on April 19, 2021;
            (2) calls on the United National Movement and other 
        remaining opposition parties to sign the April 19 agreement 
        immediately and on all parties to cooperate in good faith with 
        other parties to fully execute the letter and spirit of the 
        agreement;
            (3) calls on all parties and elected Members of Parliament 
        to begin work without further delay on the challenges facing 
        Georgia, including consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 
        weakened economy, further meaningful democratic reforms, and 
        challenging regional dynamics;
            (4) calls on the Government of Georgia, headed by a 
        coalition led by Georgian Dream, to institute systemic reforms, 
        developed through an inclusive and transparent consultation 
        process with stakeholders, to ensure that the judicial system 
        is impartial, merit-based, and independent and not used for 
        political or partisan ends, including by fully adopting and 
        implementing the recommendations of the European Commission for 
        Democracy through Law (commonly known as the ``Venice 
        Commission'') and other experts;
            (5) calls on the Government of Georgia to institute 
        inclusively and transparently developed systemic electoral 
        reforms to address the underlying causes of the political 
        impasse and avoid a recurrence of such a crisis, including by 
        fully adopting and implementing the recommendations of the 
        Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the 
        Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/
        ODIHR);
            (6) emphasizes the importance of seeing those electoral 
        reforms fully implemented ahead of the planned October 2021 
        municipal elections, which must be conducted in a way that 
        constitutes a step forward in Georgia's democratic progress, 
        and should be overseen by strong international election 
        observation missions;
            (7) recognizes that the political situation in Georgia has 
        been exacerbated by the efforts of the Russian Federation to 
        sow chaos throughout Georgia, including the illegally occupied 
        territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
            (8) expresses concern that impediments to strengthening 
        Georgia's democratic institutions and processes will slow its 
        progress toward achieving its aspiration of Euro-Atlantic 
        integration and strengthening its economy and could result in 
        conditions placed on United States assistance to Georgia;
            (9) expresses support for the Government of the United 
        States to seek all means at its disposal to increase trade and 
        investment between the United States and Georgia and improve 
        trade and investment in the broader region of the Caucasus, on 
        the condition that all components of the April 19 agreement are 
        met in letter and spirit; and
            (10) emphasizes that the United States supports a more 
        robust democracy in Georgia, with governing institutions that 
        demonstrate integrity, professionalism, checks and balances, 
        equal treatment under the law, transparency, the capacity to 
        counter Russian and other malign influence, and the ability to 
        achieve the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the people of Georgia.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution urging all 
        remaining parties in Georgia to sign, and seek prompt 
        implementation of, the compromise political agreement signed on 
        April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the Senate for 
        Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the 
        aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic 
        community.''.




                                                        Calendar No. 94

117th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                              S. RES. 176

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

  Urging all parties in Georgia to seek prompt implementation of the 
agreement signed on April 19, 2021, and reaffirming the support of the 
   Senate for Georgia, the territorial integrity of Georgia, and the 
     aspirations of Georgians to join the Euro-Atlantic community.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 24, 2021

  Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble and an 
                         amendment to the title