US Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan discussed the importance of building Anaklia Port for the country in her latest interview with the Georgian media. She argued that the government needs to know exactly with whom it will cooperate when it comes to important infrastructure for the country.

She added that as for Anaklia, the development of this port will be an important element of Georgia's serious efforts to make this country an important node in the Middle Corridor, which is now more critical than ever. Dunnigan also said that who the government chooses for the development of this port is its sovereign decision.

The US ambassador mentioned that Washington is just advising Georgia, as the US does in the case of any other country, that when it comes to critical infrastructure, including the port, it is essential to know precisely who you are working with and what their long-term intentions are.

She was also asked what it meant for the US when an agreement on the establishment of strategic partners between Georgia and China was reached.

"I must be honest: when I say that we respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, we mean the same - we really respect the sovereignty of Georgia... As for the strategic partnership, I will only note that in that agreement, Georgia unequivocally recognizes China's sovereignty, but we do not see a similar approach from China towards Georgia. At the same time, this country is getting closer to Russia. Russia has occupied part of the territory of Georgia. I think it's a bit of an undesirable situation," said the US Ambassador.

The Ambassador was also asked to comment on Washington's sanctions on certain Georgian citizens. She explained what goals US sanctions can serve and that some of them are aimed at promoting accountability and fighting against corruption. The purpose of the sanctions against Russia is to stop actions harmful to Russia in favor of Russia, as well as to stop the promotion of the Russian war machine, which Russia uses not only to carry out aggression in Ukraine but also elsewhere.

She added that when the US imposes sanctions, the government expects to consider the fact as valuable information for further investigation against possible corruption cases or, in the case of Partskhaladze, his links to the Russian “FSB” [Russia's Federal Security Service.]

On September 14, 2023, the US Department of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on individuals associated with Russia. Among them was the former Prosecutor General of Georgia, Otar Partskhaladze. The sanctioning of Partskhaladze is discussed in the subsection "Harmful influence of Russia in Georgia" of the published document. The document pointed out that Partskhaladze is a Georgian-Russian oligarch who, together with the FSB officer Alexander Onishenko, influenced Georgian society and politics to benefit Russia. It was also mentioned that, presumably, Partskhaladze personally benefited from his connections with the FSB.