Georgian PM calls for US response on strategic partnership reboot proposal

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said his Government was ready to reboot its strategic partnership with the United States “from a clean slate”, based on a specific roadmap.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze emphasised that Georgia was ready to discuss “any issue” with Washington but noted that so far there had been “essentially silence” from the American side.

“We are waiting for an official position from the United States. In Georgia, we are also waiting for the appointment of the [US] Ambassador, which has its own procedures and usually takes months. We will wait patiently. But what matters most is that we receive a clear response from the US regarding our offer. We have made the maximum proposal, saying that we are ready to discuss any issue, ready to renew the strategic partnership with a clear roadmap, and to start from a clean slate. For now, there is silence. We will wait for the official position”, the PM said.

Kobakhidze also linked the future of US-Georgia relations to internal American political dynamics, suggesting that the “reboot” depends on the outcome of what he described as a struggle between President Donald Trump’s administration and the “deep state”.

“With regard to the MEGOBARI Act, it is good that the bill has stalled. It shows that, in this case, the deep state did not succeed. But what matters most for us is that this struggle ends with the victory of the Trump administration, not the deep state. The reboot of US-Georgia relations will depend on who wins this fight. We will see how it ends”, he concluded.