Georgia’s ruling party Sec Gen expresses hope for “fresh start” in Georgia-US relations

Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday voiced strong optimism regarding the future of Georgia-United States relations, stating that the Georgian government is eager to turn a “new page” with Washington following the recent change in the US administration.

In his remarks, Kaladze noted that statements made during the previous US administration under president Joe Biden were unacceptable and included “falsehoods, threats, and defamation”, arguing that Georgia is open to a renewed partnership focused on mutual interests and friendship.

“We have made numerous statements regarding Georgia's readiness to start relations from a new page. The approach of the Biden administration was categorically unacceptable - the statements, threats that we were hearing. All of those statements, of course, contained lies, were based on falsehoods, and were purely defamatory”, he said.

“When President Trump won the elections, we immediately said that relations should start from a new page, and most importantly, they should be friendly and partnership-based, where the interests of both countries are protected and taken into account. We still hold this position today. We have very high hopes that we will be able to start relations from a clean slate”, Kaladze continued.

He further commented on the new US counterterrorism strategy published by the White House, noting that the world is facing serious challenges, and that maintaining peace in the country remains the main priority.

“Looking at the processes in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war, and considering the global challenges, the priority of the Georgian authorities is to maintain peace and economic development in the country”, he concluded.