Georgian PM hails "fruitful" US talks, seeks fresh start with Washington

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described his May 30 meeting with US Senator Steve Daines as “fruitful” and a potential turning point in the course of Georgian-American relations, Interfax reported.

Speaking to reporters on May 31, Kobakhidze said the meeting with Daines stood out among previous engagements with American officials, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“The meeting with Senator Daines was different from other meetings with American representatives. The meeting was fruitful in terms of resetting Georgian-American relations,” he stated.

He emphasised that Georgia remains fully open to dialogue with the United States. “We have openly stated that we are ready for a strategic partnership with the United States with a clean slate and a concrete roadmap. It is difficult to send a clearer message from the Georgian leadership,” Kobakhidze added.

However, the prime minister noted that certain elements within the US bureaucracy are actively obstructing progress in bilateral ties. He expressed hope that President Donald Trump would ultimately counterbalance those efforts: “We hope President Trump will prevail over these forces,” he said.

Kobakhidze was notably less optimistic about the state of Georgia’s relations with the European Union. “Unfortunately, the European bureaucracy today has completely disregarded principles such as justice, the rule of law, and the supremacy of law,” he said. “We very much hope that the European bureaucracy will overcome this difficult political, democratic, and legal crisis.”

Senator Daines is currently on a regional tour of the South Caucasus. His visit began in Baku, where he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, and Israel’s ambassador to Baku, George Deek. On May 31, Daines continued his tour with a meeting in Yerevan with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

By Tamilla Hasanova