Georgia: Background and U.S. Policy Cory Welt Specialist in European Affairs Updated October 17, 2019 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov R45307 SUMMARY R45307 Georgia: Background and U.S. Policy October 17, 2019 Georgia is one of the United States’ closest partners among the states that gained their independence after the USSR collapsed in 1991. With a history of strong economic aid Cory Welt and security cooperation, the United States has deepened its strategic partnership with Specialist in European Georgia since Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia and 2014 invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Affairs policy expressly supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its
[email protected] internationally recognized borders, and Georgia is a leading recipient of U.S. aid to For a copy of the full report, Europe and Eurasia. please call 7-.... or visit www.crs.gov. Many observers consider Georgia to be one of the most democratic states in the post- Soviet region, even as the country faces ongoing governance challenges. The center-left Georgian Dream- Democratic Georgia party (GD) holds a dominant political position, with about 70% of seats in parliament. Although Georgia faces high rates of poverty and underemployment, its economy has performed better since 2017 than it did in the previous four years. The GD led a coalition to victory in parliamentary elections in 2012 amid growing dissatisfaction with Georgia at a Glance the former ruling party, Mikheil Saakashvili’s center- Population: 3.72 million (2019 est.) right United National Movement, which came to Comparative Area: slightly larger than West Virginia power as a result of Georgia’s 2003 Rose Revolution.