"We have selected a candidate for the ambassador to the U.S., the process has already begun, and we hope it will be completed soon," Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated in an interview with the First Channel.
According to the Prime Minister, this information will be made public later.
"We can tell you that we have selected a candidate for the ambassador to the U.S. Moreover, the process has already started, and we hope it will soon be finalized. We will share this information with the public later when we have further steps in these procedures. We are ready for communication even today and are awaiting reciprocal steps," the Prime Minister said.
He also stated that restoring the strategic partnership with the United States from a "clean slate" is the main foreign policy priority of the Georgian Dream party.
In response to a question about the meeting between Maka Bochorishvili and Robin Dunnigan, Kobakhidze noted that it is not customary to disclose the content of closed-door meetings. However, both sides expressed interest in a substantial reset of U.S.-Georgia relations.
"Restoring the strategic partnership with the United States from a clean slate is one of our top foreign policy priorities. In this regard, the meeting between our Foreign Minister and the U.S. Ambassador was important.
We have previously made several public statements expressing our desire to fully reset relations, start the strategic partnership from a clean slate, and do so with a concrete roadmap outlining specific tasks. Together, we should draft a plan that includes priorities important to both countries. This is how we envision restoring the strategic partnership between Georgia and the U.S.
I believe there is a value-based alignment. You remember what we talked about over the past three years, and now the new U.S. administration is practically echoing the same messages on almost every issue. There is alignment in views, which is publicly evident. The rest will depend on the steps taken by both sides. From our side, there is full readiness," Kobakhidze said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the meeting with the U.S. Ambassador was initiated by the Foreign Minister and was arranged promptly.
"As for Georgian-American relations, there is alignment; what matters are concrete steps. Everything will largely depend on how decisively the 'Deep State' is ultimately defeated in the U.S. There are still problems and serious influence from the 'Deep State.' If it is fully or fundamentally defeated, then nothing can hinder the reset of Georgian-American relations," he noted.
Kobakhidze also stated that, in any case, the reset of relations should be based on mutual interests. Additionally, he clarified that the meeting between the ambassador and Maka Bochorishvili did not include discussions on snap elections.
"If anyone is wondering whether the meeting between Maka Bochorishvili and Robin Dunnigan included discussions about snap elections or similar topics—there was no such conversation. The discussion focused on general state-related issues. Naturally, the U.S. is a superpower, the strongest country in the world, and it views its relations with any country through the lens of its own interests. This is absolutely normal, and we must take that into account.
At the same time, we also have our own interests, which we will clearly communicate to the new U.S. administration, especially in light of what we have experienced over the past three years. You saw how a specific U.S. administration was acting against us. Unfortunately, they operated in the name of the state, but it was a particular administration that engaged in openly hostile actions toward our country
This was reflected in concrete hostile decisions, such as sanctioning high-ranking officials. I won’t even mention actions related to attempts to destabilize the situation in Georgia, including the idea of war and a second front. There were many problems. Against this background, we have and will continue to deliver our messages to President Trump and his administration.
The key point is that the reset of relations must be based on mutual interests. If fairness prevails, then nothing can stand in the way of a qualitative renewal of relations and the restoration of a strategic partnership," the Prime Minister stated.
He added that while Georgia is a small country and the U.S. holds a stronger position, everyone must remember that Georgia is an independent, sovereign state and will approach all relationships from this sovereign standpoint
"I believe that an alignment of interests is possible. If that happens, I think the strategic partnership will be restored. Once again, I want to emphasize that the reset of relations will fundamentally depend on the defeat of the 'Deep State,'" the Prime Minister concluded.
