Georgian Parliament official welcomes removal of MEGOBARI Act from US defence bill

David Matikashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, on Friday praised the exclusion of the MEGOBARI Act from the United States Senate’s 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, calling it a positive step to reboot Georgia-US relations from a clean slate.

In his remarks, Matikashvili criticised the bill’s original content as cynical and hostile toward Georgians.

“Unfortunately, in today’s world, the distortion of values and attempts to bend reality to suit one’s political tastes while refusing to face the truth are highly relevant, and Georgian society feels this keenly. When you call a document the MEGOBARI [in Georgian ‘friend’] Act, which, in reality, contains nothing but hostility toward the Georgian people, we are dealing with cynicism and a distortion of values. It is only good that this hostile act found no continuation”, Matikashvili said.

The official expressed hope that the new US administration would share the goal of rebuilding bilateral ties from a fresh, cooperative foundation, free from punitive measures.

“We have said many times that relations should not be based on hostile acts but must start from a clean slate, from a new benchmark. I hope the new US administration has a similar goal. We are ready to reset relations”, he concluded.

The United States Senate on Friday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2026 with 77 votes in favor and 20 against, after removing the reference to the MEGOBARI Act related to Georgia.

It is noteworthy that the MEGOBARI Act, which was prepared against Georgia, has been removed from the legislative package and has not been adopted at this stage.