Senator Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, met with President Saakashvili and civil society representatives on the first day of his visit to Georgia on May 30.

Sen. Durbin will meet opposition representatives in Tbilisi on May 31, including leader of Christian-Democratic Movement Giorgi Targamadze; leader of New Rights Party Davit Gamkrelidze and representatives of political parties united in Bidzina Ivanishvili-led opposition coalition Georgian Dream.

Sen. Durbin, Senate Assistant Majority Leader, who also sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in Tbilisi after visiting Kiev and Ankara and from Georgia he will travel to Yerevan.

Civil society representatives, who met with the U.S. Senator on May 30, said election-related issues and rule of law in Georgia ahead of the October parliamentary elections were among the issues discussed during the meeting.