“Georgia currently finds itself in an exceptionally favourable geopolitical position. Russian influence in the region is waning, United States interest in the South Caucasus is growing, and new transit and security projects offer Georgia a historic opportunity to become an integral part of the Western strategic architecture,” members of the Opposition Alliance, Giga Bokeria, Gigi Tsereteli, and Zurab Japaridze, said in a joint statement.
The statement notes that “the Trump route” serves as a guarantor of security, prosperity, and peace in the region.
“At this historic juncture, Georgian Dream is acting not in the interest of Georgia, but in the interest of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s regime. The interests of Georgia, of the Georgian people, and America are aligned. However, this convergence cannot materialise under a government that internally strengthens the influence of U.S. adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia, whilst simultaneously persecuting the very pro-Western political and civic forces defending Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic choice.
The Opposition Alliance’s stance is clear: Georgia must be integrated into the regional connectivity, security, and transit framework. The TRIPP initiative represents a vital opportunity not just for Armenia and Azerbaijan, but for the entire South Caucasus. It is a matter of Georgian national interest that our country is not left on the sidelines at a time when American economic, transit, and security interests in the region are surging. Yet, Georgia’s participation in such strategic projects is impossible under a regime that wages an anti-Western and anti-American campaign; leaves unrestricted space in the country for Iranian, Russian, and Chinese influence; persecutes the pro-Western opposition, civil society, and independent media; replaces the rule of law with political control; and fosters a controlled crisis rather than stability.
Georgia needs normalisation, but not a superficial facade. Normalisation cannot begin with the regime making a few decorative gestures, releasing a handful of political prisoners, or temporarily halting the process of banning opposition parties. That would not be a political turnaround; it would be an attempt to mislead the Americans and our Western partners. Genuine normalisation is only possible when the government fundamentally alters its course, not through rhetoric, but through concrete actions.
If Bidzina Ivanishvili truly wants to improve relations with the United States, rather than merely protect his own power, he needs to demonstrate this by the following steps, also outlined in Senator Rubio’s recent statement.
First, curbing Iranian, Russian, and Chinese influence. A real investigation must be launched into pro-Iranian, pro-Russian, and pro-Chinese networks, verifying their funding sources and dismantling their political influence.
Second, halting anti-Western and anti-American rhetoric. There can be no partnership with Washington while the propaganda machine of Bidzina’s government launches daily attacks against representatives of the US, the EU, and European states.
Third, releasing political prisoners and ending political persecution. Legal cases targeting the pro-Western opposition, activists, journalists, and civic leaders must be dropped.
Fourth, repealing repressive legislation. The Law on Grants, restrictions on foreign funding, measures limiting freedom of assembly and expression, mechanisms controlling online speech, and tools used to pressure civil society must all be abolished.
Fifth, neutralising organised groups of violence. Documented instances of violence must be investigated, and the perpetrators, along with their links to the government vertical, organised crime, and foreign influence, must be identified,” the statement reads.
The Opposition Alliance further points out that while reputable pro-American and pro-European organisations face persecution, religious, ideological, and information networks linked to Iran operate freely within Georgia.
“Al-Mustafa International University, which is classified as a sanctioned entity, is linked in open sources to Iranian ideological influence. According to OpenSanctions data, Al-Mustafa International University is recorded as a sanctioned entity. Against this backdrop, the contrast is stark and troubling: on one hand, Bidzina’s government restricts Western grants, civic organisations, and independent media; on the other hand, Iranian channels of influence, religious networks, and anti-Western narratives remain unchecked, without any serious political response in the country.
The objective of the Alliance is to defend the genuine interests of the Georgian people: free elections, the release of political prisoners, the repeal of repressive laws, a return to Western partnership, and the restoration of a state where citizens, businesses, and free thought are protected, and where the country is not held hostage to one man’s personal dealings. The Alliance stands with the Georgian people by denying the regime the opportunity to trade on Georgia’s name with the West while continuing a Russian-style autocracy at home.
We want normalisation, but not on Ivanishvili’s terms; we want stability, but not at the expense of crushing freedom; we want partnership with America, but not through a regime that persecutes America’s friends and empowers America’s adversaries. The goal of the Alliance is to restore the right to choose to Georgia’s citizens and return the state to its Western course,” the statement concludes.
