WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Thomas O. Melia will travel to Georgia April 10-15, 2016.  This will be Melia's first visit to Georgia as USAID's Assistant Administrator. He will be joined by the U.S. State Department's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Kurt Tong. 

Assistant Administrator Melia and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tong will co-chair the annual U.S. - Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission's Economic, Trade and Energy Working Group to strengthen U.S. economic and bilateral relations with Georgia and support Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration. Melia and the U.S. delegation will focus on bilateral cooperation in developing agriculture, intellectual property rights, energy security, innovation, and entrepreneurship, as well as assistance implementing economic reforms and Georgia's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.  

Melia will also meet with government officials, civil society leaders, international partners, members of the private sector, and media to discuss how U.S. assistance is helping Georgia achieve its development and economic goals.  These meetings will focus on USAID's ongoing efforts to support Georgia in strengthening democratic governance and implementing economic reforms as central elements of a robust, diversified economy.