Georgian government extends contract with U.S. lobby company

(Interfax – TBILISI, August 22, 2013) The Georgian government has extended its contract with the influential lobby and legal firm Patton Boggs, which is headquartered in Washington, DC, until the end of 2013, the Georgian media have reported.

Under the contract, Patton Boggs will receive monthly payments of $110,000 for its services, which is $20,000 more than it received before.

Under the initial contract, which was valid for six months and expired in August, Patton Boggs helped the Georgian government “in terms of its NATO ambitions, its relations with the government and the U.S. Congress, cooperation with the media and those involved in influencing public opinion, the organization of appropriate meetings and events and informing the United States public about events taking place in Georgia,” the media reports say.

These obligations are included in the extended contract, which took effect on August 15.

At the same time, under a new condition added to the contract, Patton Boggs will hire “a media consultant” to provide the additional service of increasing support for Georgia among political and social leaders in the United States, increasing media coverage with a focus on foreign policy and politics, the preparation of media materials and their publication, the support of the Georgian embassy’s initiatives and, finally, attracting new audiences and media that were previously not involved in issues dealing with Georgia.

According to media reports, in 2012, when Patton Boggs was personally hired by Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is now prime minister of Georgia, the leader of the coalition Georgian Dream paid the company $160,000 every month. Patton Boggs was among the lobbies and consultancies that provided services to Ivanishvili in 2012, when he and his coalition ran for parliament.