Ruling party official optimistic about potential “reboot” in US-Georgia relations, citing alignment in values, messages, political views

Levan Machavariani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Deputy Chair of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party, on Friday expressed optimism regarding a potential “reboot” in US-Georgia relations, citing alignment in values, messages, and political views.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Machavariani emphasised the desire for a “real partnership”, drawing a comparison to Georgia's strategic partnership with China.

“Partnership must be real, similar to the strategic relationship we have with China. The reboot of our relations with the US depends, on one hand, on the resolution of the tragic events in Ukraine and, on the other hand, on whether Mr. Trump can defeat and dismantle the deep state in America”, the Parliament official said.

He expressed hope that these developments would materialise but stressed that the Georgian Government remained cautious.

“We are always very reserved and do not jump ahead of events. There was a very interesting conversation between the US Ambassador and our Minister of Foreign Affairs, but it was a closed-door discussion, and we are not at liberty to disclose details”, he noted.

Regarding Donald Trump’s endorsement of Senator Jim Risch, Machavariani downplayed any connection to Georgia, framing it as a purely internal US political matter.

“The opposition is in a very dire situation. You see that they are relying on former foreign ministers, persons like Michael Roth and others. It is at least surprising that a prominent representative of the deep state [Senator Jim Risch] was endorsed by Mr. Trump in such terms. However, this is strictly an internal US affair. Risch is running for office in one of the states, and Trump saw it fit to make this statement to boost his chances”, Machavariani concluded.