“We are expecting delegations from the United States of America. This week we will receive a visit from a State Department representative,” said Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, speaking live on Imedi TV.

“We will have the opportunity to revisit relations between Georgia and the United States; where we stand and what our plans are going forward. A further visit is also planned for the second half of May, during which we will explore the bilateral relationship in considerably greater depth. In short, there is a certain momentum building, and I very much hope that our relations will prove far more substantive and positive than they have been over recent years,” the Foreign Minister remarked.

Speaking on Georgia’s strategic partnership with the United States, Botchorishvili stressed the importance of discussing mutual interests and working towards a framework for cooperation.

“We have never concealed our positions or our attitude towards the United States of America, and no one today can deny the role America plays, both in our region and globally. There is, of course, a very real and tangible interest in maintaining good relations with the United States. We had a strategic partnership with America, which was suspended, or indeed terminated, by the previous administration. Naturally, we have every interest in seeing our relations restored to a positive footing, with due regard for the interests of both countries. That is precisely why it is so important that we talk through our respective interests: what Georgia’s interests are, what America’s interests are, where the points of intersection lie, and within what frameworks we might develop our future cooperation. That, of course, requires work. It requires a great deal of exchange of positions, and it is most heartening that steps are being taken on the part of the United States to create the conditions for these meetings and for a proper acquaintance with one another’s positions,” Botchorishvili stated.