Ruling party Sec Gen calls for reboot in US-Georgia relations

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday called for a reboot in US-Georgia relations, stressing that the United States should be a strategic partner and friend, not a master.

Kaladze's comments followed a recent statement by the United States Embassy in Georgia, which noted that Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, had refused to meet with the United States Ambassador.

“I am confident Mr. Bidzina will personally comment on this. As for my own position - we have said many times, and I want to reiterate, that it is critically important to start relations from a clean slate. We wholeheartedly welcome this. Rebooting relations is essential because the approach we’ve seen over the years is simply unacceptable. The United States must be our strategic partner, our friend, and not a master. Of course, it is important to restore relations, and we would welcome that, but it must be done in a friendly and equal partnership”, Kaladze said.

The official criticised the sanctions imposed by the United States on certain Georgian officials, including Ivanishvili, implying that they were politically motivated:

“When several Government officials in our country are sanctioned - when Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili is sanctioned - for what reason? Because we defended our national interests and didn’t allow the same processes to unfold in Georgia as happened in Ukraine. We are defending our national interests, fighting for no one else but protecting our country, our people, and our future”, he noted.

Kaladze concluded by welcoming the congratulatory message from US President Donald Trump to Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili and the people of Georgia on Independence Day, calling it a positive gesture and an opportunity to move forward.