Georgia–United States relations
Relations between the countries of Georgia and the United States continue to be very close and encompass multiple areas of bilateral cooperation. One of the key U.S. allies in Eastern Europe, Georgia was the third largest troop contributor in the Iraq War and the largest per-capita contributor to the U.S. led mission in Afghanistan. The United States for its part is actively assisting Georgia in strengthening its state institutions in face of increasing pressure from its northern neighbor Russia and has provided the country with financial assistance in excess of 3 billion dollars since 1991. Since 2009, Georgian–American relations are streamlined by the U.S.–Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, which created four bilateral working groups on priority areas of democracy; defense and security; economic, trade, energy issues, people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Georgia |
United States |
---|---|
Diplomatic mission | |
Embassy of Georgia, Washington, D.C. | Embassy of the United States, Tbilisi |
Since the early 2000s, Georgia has sought to become a member of NATO with U.S. support; however, Georgia's membership was delayed indefinitely, along with that of Ukraine, due to strong Russian opposition. In February 2012, it was agreed that the U.S. and Georgia will start working on a Free Trade Agreement which, if materialized, will make Georgia the only European country to have such treaty with the United States. American citizens visiting Georgia currently do not require a visa for entry. Citizens will receive a 90-day tourist visa at the country's entry points.