Georgia’s deputy foreign minister visits Washington, expresses desire for ‘reset’
Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Lasha Darsalia, met with US Deputy Secretary of State Brendan Hanrahan in Washington, expressing a desire for a ‘reset’ amid strained relations between the two countries.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry released information about the meeting on Tuesday night. According to the statement, during the meeting at the State Department, the parties discussed ‘important issues in bilateral relations’.
The ministry noted that ‘the Georgian side once again emphasised its readiness to reset relations with the United States and the importance of renewing the strategic partnership’.
‘The meeting also covered ongoing developments in the region and prospects for cooperation with Georgia’, the statement read, noting that ‘the American side reaffirmed its unconditional support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’.
According to the ministry, in addition to Darsalia and Hanrahan, the meeting was attended by Georgia’s ambassador to the US Tamar Taliashvili and the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter.
Relations between Georgia and the US have sharply deteriorated amid the Georgian authorities’ adoption of restrictive laws, the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections, and police violence against anti-government demonstrators. This has been accompanied by claims from the ruling Georgian Dream party that certain actors in the West are seeking to drag Georgia into a war with Russia.
Washington has sanctioned a number of Georgian officials, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling party. In November 2024, following Tbilisi’s decision to suspend the country’s EU membership bid, the US also halted its strategic partnership with Georgia.
The ruling party has repeatedly expressed hopes that the situation would change with the departure of the Joe Biden administration and Donald Trump’s return to presidency, only to voice disappointment at the absence of any major shift in attitude towards Tbilisi.
The US State Department has not provided any further information since it took place.
Amid the deteriorating relations, high-level meetings between the two countries are rare.
OC Media
