Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze elaborated on the U.S.-Georgia relations in a televised interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) First Channel. Speaking on the Actual Topic with Maka Tsintsadze program, Kobakhidze expressed satisfaction with a congratulatory letter received from President Trump’s administration, contrasting it sharply with earlier State Department communications.
Contrasting letters reveal U.S. internal divisions
“We are pleased that a letter came from the U.S. President’s administration, which directly expresses openness toward cooperation, and this is what we requested,” Kobakhidze stated during the interview.
The Prime Minister highlighted what he described as radical differences between two letters received within two days. According to Kobakhidze, the first letter from the State Department was allegedly written by the “Deep State,” while the second came directly from Trump’s administration.
“It’s interesting that over these two days, we reviewed two different from each other letters. One was initially sent from the State Department and the second was sent from the President’s administration. The first letter was written by the ‘Deep State‘ and the second letter was composed in President Trump’s administration. There is a radical difference. This already shows that confrontation, the clash that is ongoing between the new administration and the ‘Deep State,’“ he explained.
Kobakhidze noted that while one letter was addressed directly to the Georgian people, bypassing the elected government, Trump’s letter to President Mikheil Kavelashvili directly addressed Georgia’s government and discussed developing cooperation.
“One letter, practically, did not recognize the government, based on the fact that the addressee was directly the people, while they bypassed the government elected by the people; at this time, a letter came from President Trump addressed to President Kavelashvili, whose addressee is directly Georgia’s government, the addressee was President Mikheil Kavelashvili and there was direct talk about developing cooperation with Georgia’s government,” the Prime Minister detailed.
Readiness for relations reset
The Prime Minister expressed his government’s readiness for a complete reset of U.S.-Georgia relations, contingent on America’s liberation from “Deep State” influence.
“Our position is fixed, everything is on the table. We say that we are ready for recharging relations, for renewing strategic partnership from a clean slate, we are waiting for a position,” he stated.
“Before sending the public letter, we sent a non-public letter and the spirit was approximately the same. We publicly demand an answer to the question: How does the new administration view relations with Georgia? Our position is fixed, everything is on the table. We say that we are ready for recharging relations and renewing a strategic partnership from a clean slate. We are waiting for a position,” he added.
Ambassador appointment process
On the appointment of Georgia’s ambassador to the United States, the Prime Minister indicated that the process is ongoing but expressed hope for swift resolution if Trump’s administration becomes involved.
“Based on the existing reality, based on the status quo we have in relations with the United States, it’s probably important that an ambassador be appointed soon. We are waiting for agreement on the presented candidacy,” he said.
“The candidacy for Georgia’s ambassador to the U.S. has been sent, it’s been several weeks already. We cannot say that this process is artificially prolonged, based on the fact that according to standard practice, this process can last even 3-4 months. Based on the existing reality, the status quo we have in relations, it’s probably important that an ambassador be appointed soon.
Accordingly, we are waiting for agreement on the presented candidacy and as soon as we receive it, the identity of this candidate will be announced immediately. We wish that an ambassador be appointed as soon as possible and here everything depends on how much the ‘Deep State‘ will interfere, which, of course, will try to delay the ambassador’s appointment. If Trump’s administration directly intervenes in all this, in this case, the decision will be made quicker,” Kobakhidze explained.
Georgia’s rejection of “Deep State” America
Regarding Georgia’s position on future U.S. relations, Kobakhidze was explicit about his government’s stance toward what he calls the “Deep State.”
“We have nothing to do with the ‘Deep State’ America – if the ‘Deep State‘ should govern the U.S. for the next 4 years as well, as it did during the past 4 years, we have nothing to do with such America,” he declared.
The Prime Minister blamed the “Deep State” for various problems in Georgia, tracing issues back to the early 2000s.
“The ‘Deep State‘ brought severe consequences to our country through American bureaucracy. In 2003, through their organizations, the Rose Revolution took place in Georgia, which brought the country a 9-year bloody regime, and intelligence governance. We lost 20% of the country’s territories. Crime, murder, torture, media seizure, business racketeering – all this happened systematically. Of course, we have nothing to do with such America. We want relations with America that will be free from the ‘Deep State.‘ We don’t want such congratulations, nor strategic partnership. We want our strategic partnership and communication with America that will be freed from the ‘Deep State.‘ Therefore, we are waiting for this process with patience,” Kobakhidze stated.
Future outlook and hopes
Concluding, Kobakhidze expressed hope that Trump’s efforts to defeat the “Deep State” would succeed.
“President Trump has promised to dismantle the ‘Deep State’ and restore U.S. sovereignty. We are patiently awaiting this outcome,” he stated.
“For us, only an independent, sovereign United States holds true value. We believe that once the ‘Deep State’ is defeated, genuine U.S. policy toward Georgia will emerge. We remain hopeful and patient in this pursuit,” Kobakhidze affirmed.
