Georgian Foreign Minister comments on US Ambassador’s departure: opportunity for fresh start in relations

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Thursday addressed the recent resignation of US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, stating that while the reasons for the decision remain unknown to her beyond the Ambassador's public statements, the move presents an opportunity for a “new chapter” in US-Georgia relations.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili underscored the importance of the US-Georgia partnership, while also acknowledging recent strains in the relationship.

“I don’t know what the reason for the [US] Ambassador’s retirement is, we know what the Ambassador said. The fact is that the United States now has the opportunity to appoint a new representative in Georgia, which means there is a chance to start our relations from a new page”, the FM said.

“We have repeatedly said that relations with the US are very important to us. It has been repeatedly stated that we are very concerned about the state of US-Georgian relations, and this is not our fault. In recent years, we have observed a dramatic deterioration in these relations, and we have reached the point where hostile acts are being called friendly acts”, she continued.

She further noted that foreign embassies played an important role in relations between the two countries.

“In the circumstances in which we have been observing the activities of the US Embassy in recent times, the public should draw a conclusion as to whether it was possible for such an embassy to make a certain contribution to improving relations under these circumstances”, Botchorishvili concluded.