Tbilisi and Washington Return to Dialogue: Kobakhidze Reveals Conversation with Rubio

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reported on a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting the importance of renewing bilateral relations between the countries.

According to the head of the Georgian government, the conversation was the first substantive contact with a US State Department representative after a long period of cooling in relations between Tbilisi and Washington. The ruling party previously attributed this decline to the policies of the previous administration led by Joe Biden.

"I had a productive telephone conversation with Secretary of State Rubio. We emphasized the importance of renewing our partnership and strengthening Georgia's role as a reliable partner in the South Caucasus. We are committed to strengthening relations between Georgia and the US, as well as promoting regional stability and developing transport infrastructure," Kobakhidze wrote on social media.

Previously, the prime minister emphasized Georgia's interest in restoring strategic cooperation with the US and has already outlined its position. Tbilisi expects reciprocal steps from the US administration, stating that the further development of relations depends on Washington's decisions.

At the same time, relations between the US and Georgia remain tense. Under the previous administration of President Joe Biden, Washington imposed sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream party, on charges of suppressing pro-European protests.

Furthermore, the strategic partnership between the countries was suspended, further complicating dialogue.

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze previously sent an open letter to US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, addressing bilateral relations, but has not yet received a response. He did, however, point out that he shared similar views with the new administration on a number of issues, including rhetoric surrounding the so-called Deep State, as well as the activities of USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy.

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