Irakli Kobakhidze is optimistic that a strategic partnership with the US and Georgia suspended under the Biden regime can be restored under the presidency of Donald Trump, the Georgian Prime Minister has told Euronews’ in an exclusive interview.
In the interview for the Europe Conversation Kobakhidze said of a transparency law implemented in Georgia – heavily criticised by the US embassy under the Biden administration – that it simply involved “submitting the annual financial declarations by the NGOs to the Ministry of Justice of Georgia”.
He said of the decision by the Trump White House to suspend USAID, “of course, these developments make us very optimistic that we can restore the partnership with the United States.”
“We have said, stated very clearly that Georgia is ready to restore the strategic partnership with the United States,” he added.
Kobakhidze also said that he would like to restore the function of Georgia as a connector between Europe and Asia.
“We would like to further strengthen the partnership with relevant countries on both sides of the trade with Europe, with the United States. And at the same time with the countries in the South Caucasus, with Central Asian countries, with China,” he said, adding: “I think these trends, the positive trends that we enjoy at this moment can promote the restoration of our strategic function.”
As reported, Kobakhidze said in his first interview after the South Caucasus country hit pause on its EU accession talks, that he was still very optimistic that EU membership by 2030 is achievable.
He said that Brussels needs to be more flexible in EU membership talks, that the ball was in Brussels’ court, and that the bloc needed to be more flexible in its approach to new members.
Kobakhidze was reappointed in November as prime minister by the ruling Georgian Dream party, whose disputed victory in October’s parliamentary election has sparked massive demonstrations and led to an opposition boycott of parliament.
Opposition forces — including Georgia’s former president Salome Zourabichvili — have condemned the results as a “total falsification” of the vote. The European Parliament in November adopted a resolution condemning the vote and calling for new elections to be held under international supervision.
The ruling party, which has been in power since 2012, has denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, protesters and critics have accused Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and is widely considered to be the country’s de facto leader — of turning away from the West and towards Moscow.
Kobakhidze told Euronews that Georgia had “no space for restoring diplomatic relations (with Russia) because of the occupation of our two historic regions”.
Moscow recognised the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states in 2008 after Russian troops repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a brief war. The two breakaway territories make up 20% of Georgia’s territory.
“This territorial integrity is recognised by the international community and of course we have to defend our national interests in this respect, but our vision is peaceful,” Kobakhidze said, adding that a “non-peaceful solution is absolutely impossible”.
When asked about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the prospect of a peace agreement, Kobakhidze said there was “no alternative” to a ceasefire.
ADVERTISEMENTUkraine is “suffering a lot”, the prime minister said, citing the loss of life, damage to infrastructure and Russia’s occupation of large swathes of Ukrainian territory.
“The international community should be fully concentrated on promoting this ceasefire agreement and peace,” Kobakhidze said. “That’s the key for improving the overall situation in the region and the world.”
