Iago Khvichia: Meeting Bidzina Ivanishvili was the most pivotal encounter of my career; we actively seek further dialogue with him

“A meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili lasted over an hour and took place in a calm, mutually respectful atmosphere, covering a broad range of issues,” stated Iago Khvichia, leader of the Party of Free People (formerly Girchi), during an appearance on Formula TV.

Khvichia said securing an introduction to Bidzina Ivanishvili had been his team’s persistent initiative since entering Parliament.

“From the moment we entered Parliament, it was our persistent initiative to be introduced to Bidzina Ivanishvili. As you know, we maintained various lines of communication with Georgian Dream in Parliament. At least once a month, I would approach Mamuka Mdinaradze, or occasionally Irakli Kobakhidze, and say: ‘Introduce me to the man.’

Everyone understands that he is the leader. As the head of a political party elected to Parliament by the people, I was keen to meet the man who genuinely governs the country. While the matter was sometimes brushed off lightly, one fine day, after the 2025 elections, during a relatively stable period for Georgian Dream around November or December 2025, Mamuka Mdinaradze contacted me to say the meeting could go ahead.

Our entire office was delighted. My colleague Sandro Rakhviashvili asked if he could join as well. Consequently, we arranged that it would not be a solo meeting; Sandro and I attended together,” Khvichia explained.

According to Khvichia, the meeting took place at Ivanishvili’s residence in Tbilisi and was attended by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and then-Head of the State Security Service Mamuka Mdinaradze.

“The meeting lasted over an hour and proceeded in an exceptionally calm, respectful environment. We discussed domestic political dynamics, government-opposition relations, international affairs, and the overarching challenges.

Naturally, I wanted to gauge whether Georgian Dream saw any scope for collaboration on our party’s policy agenda. However, given that it was our first meeting and primary introduction, the dialogue remained largely exploratory. That single meeting did not yield concrete agreements on public cooperation like those we have secured elsewhere. Ultimately, one discussion is rarely enough.

That is precisely why we believe both our party and Mr Ivanishvili ought to be present in Parliament. Rather than a private meeting causing a public sensation, such engagements should occur weekly within a routine format that minimises sensationalism and keeps the focus on substantive issues,” Khvichia added.

Khvichia noted that his party has consistently sought dialogue across the political spectrum, recalling past meetings with Mikheil Saakashvili while in prison, as well as unpublicised meetings with Giorgi Gakharia and the Lelo party.

“Our interest was never exclusive to Bidzina Ivanishvili. During our tenure in Parliament, we also met Mikheil Saakashvili. I have visited Giorgi Gakharia’s home several times for talks, and I have met with Lelo on numerous occasions. None of those meetings was made public at the time because they did not yield definitive outcomes that warranted a public announcement.

We remain eager to hold further talks with Bidzina Ivanishvili. I have no intention of breaching confidentiality or revealing non-public information that it was agreed would remain private.

Had Sandro Rakhviashvili denied the meeting when questioned by a journalist, no one would ever have known. However, we do not mislead our voters. While we agreed not to disclose the internal details, indeed, my own mother learned of it through the media; we refuse to cover up facts when directly asked.

We take immense pride in our party’s ability to engage directly with both Mikheil Saakashvili and Bidzina Ivanishvili. I often say that meeting Bidzina Ivanishvili was the most pivotal encounter of my career, second only to meeting Mikheil Saakashvili in prison. I believe this cross-party dialogue holds the key to breaking the country’s political deadlock. I state publicly once again: I stand ready to meet any actor in Georgian politics, anywhere, under any conditions, provided I am not asked to lie,” Khvichia concluded.