WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Thomas O. Melia will travel to Georgia June 20-22, 2016 for the annual U.S.- Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission's Democracy Working Group.

On June 21, Melia will co-chair the Working Group with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Bridget Brink, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Robert Berschinski, the Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia Alina Romanowski, and the Department of Justice's Regional Director for Eurasia Catherine Newcombe.

The Working Group provides a forum to advance the broad and ongoing strategic partnership between the U.S. and Georgia. The Working Group will focus on Georgia's efforts to bolster good governance, strengthen and depoliticize government institutions, continue justice sector reform and conduct free and fair parliamentary elections in October 2016. The Georgian government will highlight accomplishments and reform priorities since the previous Democracy Working Group in November 2015.

In addition to participating in the Working Group, the delegation will meet with a variety of government officials, members of civil society organizations and the media sector, and political party representatives from both the ruling coalition and the opposition.