Lawmakers press Kerry to use 'full diplomatic resources' to resolve Georgia political crisis

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is asking Secretary of State John Kerry to use the “full diplomatic resources” of his department to avert a political crisis in Georgia.

Tensions between President Mikheil Saakashvili and the new government of billionaire Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili erupted last week when protesters prevented Saakashvili from delivering his annual state-of-the-nation address. The new government, which has ties to Moscow, has ordered the arrest of several former government officials and civil servants since it came to power in October.

“In the interest of protecting the rights and liberties of the Georgian people and preserving the fledgling Georgian democratic institutions, we ask that you take steps to affirm the United States interests in a free and democratic Georgia,” the letter says. “We encourage you to utilize the full diplomatic resources of the State Department to response to this emerging crisis.”

The letter is signed by four lawmakers with a keen interest in eastern European affairs: Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), the chairman of the U.S. delegation to NATO's parliamentary assembly; Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), the chairman of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue; and Pennsylvania Reps. Bill Shuster (R) and Allyson Schwartz (D), the co-chairmen of the Congressional Georgia Caucus.

Saakashvili's office recently hired a lobbyist to represent its interests as the leading opposition party in Georgia before the U.S. Congress and the Obama administration.

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