Georgian Parliament Speaker says new US administration echoes “our claims”, calls for relations reboot

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said the recent revelations by the new US administration confirmed what the Georgian Government had been asserting for years.

In his remarks, Papuashvili highlighted the Georgian Government’s readiness to reboot relations with the United States, adding that such ties “must be based on a strategic partnership” rooted in equality and mutual respect for sovereignty.

“Were we not saying that USAID was involved in destabilisation efforts in Georgia? Has the new US administration not confirmed this? Were we not saying the same about the National Endowment for Democracy, and has the new administration not revealed this as well? Were we not discussing how Voice of America and Radio Free Europe function as European propaganda tools? The new administration has now exposed these facts. Everything we have said has been practically reiterated by the new US administration”, the Speaker said.

He further argued that the worsening of US-Georgia relations was a direct consequence of the activities of such organisations as USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and others, which, according to him, undermined democracy in Georgia, fueled internal divisions, attacked the Church, and funded efforts to weaken traditional values.

“The result of all this is the complicated relationship we now have with the United States. The only thing left to do is to draw the right conclusions and take the necessary steps”, Papuashvili noted.

He addressed the policies toward Georgia pursued by the previous US administration, arguing that these approaches had damaged bilateral relations.

“I had previously stated that for relations to be restored, the former US administration needed to acknowledge its mistakes. I have often said that not only the US but also other countries should apologise to the Georgian people for what certain organisations, funded by foreign budgets, have done over the years to divide society and undermine democracy”, the Parliament Speaker continued.

Papuashvili further emphasised that the new administration itself had confirmed what certain organisations had done against Georgia using American taxpayers’ money.

“Now, we expect the new administration to draw the correct conclusions about what damaged our relations - everything is laid out clearly”, he stressed.

Papuashvili also mentioned the recent decision by the US president regarding tariffs, highlighting the reactions of major countries that, according to him, have little room to oppose it.

He acknowledged that Georgia, given its political weight and size, has limited influence in rebooting relations but reiterated the country’s readiness to start anew on the basis of a genuine and equal partnership.

“We are ready to reboot relations from a new page and establish a truly strategic partnership based on equality and respect for sovereignty - not the kind of relationship the previous administration pursued, treating Georgia as a weak and easily influenced country. Some nations still see us this way today. Of course, we expect that the right lessons will be learned from the past, and these lessons will naturally lead to the restoration of our relations”, the Speaker concluded.