“We see a troubling trend of dragging Georgia into the geopolitical confrontation between America and China, turning it into yet another pawn in this rivalry,” stated Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament.

According to Makhashvili, this appears to be an attempt to entangle Georgia’s issues within the broader context of U.S.-Russia relations, with implications also extending towards Iran.

“This is not a genuine concern; rather, it is an orchestrated process driven by financial interests, and it is progressing accordingly. Certainly, it is an effort to manipulate Georgia’s position negatively within the American establishment. The sensitive issues of China, Iran, and Russia are being exploited to this end.

Consequently, the Georgian issue is being diluted and misrepresented, with misleading threads being intertwined to deceive the public. We are witnessing a harmful trend to involve Georgia in the escalating geopolitical struggle between America and China, transforming it into another stumbling block.

Similar attempts have been made regarding U.S.-Russia relations and Iran, with plans to incorporate the Georgian issue into these conflicts. I urge those involved to refrain from making Georgia a cause or pretext for a major confrontation. If anyone is responsible for turning the Georgian issue into a catalyst for conflict, it is the former president and the ex-defence minister, both financed by one of the separatist states. The public deserves to know who the real ‘heroes‘ of our time are. Most likely, this process is driven by financial motives,” Makhashvili added.

A hearing on Georgia will be held at the Helsinki Commission on September 10, where Salome Zourabichvili, Tinatin Khidasheli and Luke Coffey have been invited as witnesses.

“Georgia was once a core U.S. partner and a beacon of freedom in the Caucasus. Today, the ruling Georgian Dream party is dragging the country back into Russia’s orbit and deepening their relationship with China and other U.S. adversaries. Over the past few years, Georgian Dream has crippled Georgia’s institutions and further undermined Georgia’s sovereignty by courting Chinese investment while blocking U.S. businesses from Middle Corridor trade and access to Central Asian rare earth minerals. They have jailed opposition, used violence against peaceful protestors, and refused to relinquish their grip on power after elections widely viewed as illegitimate. This poses an immediate and serious threat to U.S. interests in the region,” states the Helsinki Commission’s statement released on September 3.