Congressman Keating ‘disappointed’ by Georgian-Belarus security deal
Author
Front News Georgia
US Congressman Bill Keating says that he is ‘deeply disappointed’ by an anti-terrorism and security agreement between Georgia and Belarus which may ‘endanger’ the Belarussian citizens living or seeking assylum in Georgia.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I am deeply concerned with <a href=”https://twitter.com/GovernmentGeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@GovernmentGeo</a>’s decision to sign a security agreement with the Lukashenka regime, because I believe the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/humanrights?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#humanrights</a> situation should be considered. See my statement below:<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/standwithbelarus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#standwithbelarus</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/freebelarus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#freebelarus</a> <a href=”https://t.co/uGBznVna4e”>pic.twitter.com/uGBznVna4e</a></p>— Congressman Bill Keating (@USRepKeating) <a href=”https://twitter.com/USRepKeating/status/1433178065354559492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
He believes that the Georgian government should disregard the agreement.
Georgia and the Belarus KGB signed the agreement back in 2016 which entered into force earlier in August 2021.
The Georgian State Security Service (SSS) says that it is an ‘ordinary agreement’ both Georgia and Belarus had signed with several European countries and which covers cooperation against terrorism, corruption as well as other international and transnational organised crimes.
SSS says that criticism around the document was triggered by the Georgian opposition and the country’s ‘enemies’ who are trying to discredit Georgia’s image.
Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili has reiterated that the agreement was signed before controversial elections in Belarus in 2020 and that ‘speculating with the ordinary agreement’ is unacceptable and anti-state.’
