The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ben Cardin, calls the reports on the parliamentary elections held in Georgia disturbing and notes in a released statement that the actions of the ruling party during the pre-election period have damaged Georgia's democratic process.

The senator also stated that he will continue to work with the Biden and Harris administrations to determine an appropriate response within the framework of U.S.-Georgia relations.

"Reports from international and domestic observers are as troubling as they are disappointing, making it clear that Georgia’s Election Day was marred by violence, intimidation, exclusion of accredited observers from polling stations, and inconsistent application of procedures. This follows a pre-election period tainted by the enactment of the so-called ‘Law on Transparency and Foreign Influence,’ which erodes freedoms of association and expression. Coupled with threats of retribution against political opponents by key figures in the ruling party, these actions have cast a long shadow over Georgia’s democratic process. Georgia’s European and American friends have repeatedly warned that democratic backsliding threatens the country’s aspirations for deeper integration into Western institutions like the European Union and NATO – aspirations we all share. I will continue to closely monitor the post-election environment and work with the Biden-Harris administration to determine the appropriate response in the U.S.-Georgian relationship," reads the statement.