Georgian FM: Georgia ready to work with US on new relations framework

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Wednesday addressed the evolving diplomatic landscape between Georgia and the United States, highlighting a noticeable departure from the previous US administration’s approach and citing a year of relative “silence” as a strategic shift in policy.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili noted that the lack of frequent, aggressive rhetoric from the State Department over the past year marks a significant change compared to the intense scrutiny Georgia faced under the previous leadership.

“This silence itself was, to some extent, a change in position. You may recall that before [US President] Donald Trump entered the White House, hardly a day went by without Georgia appearing on the agenda of the previous US administration in one form or another. There were probably more hearings on Georgia than on almost any other issue”, she said.

“I remember it was the summer period - people did not even go on vacation - and every other day Georgia was discussed, sometimes in the Senate, sometimes in Congress, sometimes one commission was convened, sometimes another. The previous administration was shaping Georgia’s political agenda on a daily basis through statements that were made at the time”, the FM continued.

Botchorishvili added that all of this could not be changed overnight or in a single day.

“However, what changed was that we did not hear this for an entire year. The dynamics clearly shifted, and it is impossible not to notice this or not to consider it, to some extent, a change in policy on the part of the United States”, she noted.

The Foreign Minister further claimed efforts to harm bilateral relations have not stopped, including financial support for voices critical of Georgia.

“We also know they don’t regret spending money so that we keep hearing Joe Wilson’s statements, which serve as a counterbalance to the silence from the State Department. However, the MEGOBARI Act has not been adopted, which I am convinced would not have been the case had the State Department not formed a position regarding the unacceptability of such a policy”, she said.

“As for what the new framework will look like, this naturally requires work and cooperation. From our side, there is full readiness to work on it when the United States considers it necessary to create a new framework for relations with Georgia”, Botchorishvili concluded.