On behalf of the United States of America, I wish the people of Georgia a happy Independence Day. Throughout the 32 years of our bilateral relationship, the United States has shown unwavering commitment to Georgia's democratic, prosperous future, and has been among the strongest supporters of Georgia's sovereignty and integrity. We have been proud to support efforts to strengthen Georgia's economy, democracy, and ability to deter Russian aggression, and we reaffirm our commitment to the Georgian people and to Georgia's future.
It has been an important twelve months for the people of Georgia, including Georgia's historic achievement of European Union candidate status. The next several months will be pivotal in seeing this opportunity become real. The United States will continue to strongly support the aspirations of the Georgian people for a Euro-Atlantic future. We urge Georgia's leaders to take the steps necessary to move Georgia forward in the right direction.
On this day of celebration for Georgians everywhere, I reaffirm the United States' firm commitment to helping Georgia build the secure, prosperous European democracy its citizens overwhelmingly desire and so richly deserve.
