Georgian Parliament official: restoration of strategic Georgia-US relations will happen sooner than expected

Zviad Shalamberidze, the first deputy chair of the parliamentary committee on regional policy and self-government, on Friday expressed strong confidence that the renewal and restoration of strategic relations between Georgia and the United States would occur sooner than many anticipated it.

Commenting on the working visit of Peter Andreoli, a representative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Shalamberidze noted that every such visit represented a step forward in rebuilding the long-standing partnership.

“Every such visit is a step forward toward restoring the strategic relationship that existed for decades between Georgia and the United States. If relations deteriorated, it was solely due to one party - the previous US administration. At the same time, since Georgia bore no responsibility for the worsening of relations, our desire is for this relationship to be restored as quickly as possible”, he said.

The official pointed out the growing frequency of such visits - both in Georgia and in the US - as a clear sign of improving relations.

“We see that the frequency of such visits is increasing, both in Georgia and in the US. I am deeply convinced, and I have said this several times, that the renewal and restoration of strategic relations between our countries will happen sooner than any of us expect”, Shalamberidze concluded.