“The renewal of our strategic partnership with the United States is vital for Georgia, and its realisation hinges entirely on the outcome of the battle between President Trump and the ‘Deep State.‘ We sincerely hope President Trump prevails, though we remain prepared for all scenarios. Our unwavering commitment is to defend our national interests to the very end,” stated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during an appearance on Imedi LIVE.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that in Romania, elections were cancelled with the support of European bureaucrats, and what he described as a one-time occurrence there has been an ongoing pattern in Georgia.
“Since 2020, we have witnessed the non-recognition of certain elections, negotiations, opposition refusals to enter parliament, refusals to acknowledge legitimacy, and reluctance to send congratulatory messages—these are classic Soviet methods. We are perplexed by the silence from the new U.S. administration, which prompted us to send an open letter to the Trump administration. We hope for a response, but ultimately everything depends on who wins the struggle between Trump and the ‘Deep State.‘ A clear conflict is unfolding. We believe President Trump will emerge victorious, though we do not rule out an alternative,” Kobakhidze explained.
He emphasised that Trump’s victory has already yielded tangible benefits for Georgia.
“Recall the intense campaign against the Law on Transparency. They branded it a ‘Russian law,‘ used countless epithets, and prevented us from even considering that Western funding might be harmful to our country. When President Trump and his team arrived, they directly confirmed what we had been trying to demonstrate—that through organisations like USAID, NED, and other foundations, revolutionary processes and unrest were being orchestrated in various nations.”
According to Kobakhidze, if Trump succeeds in weakening the ‘Deep State,‘ Georgian-American relations could reset positively. Conversely, if not, the current status quo will persist.
“We have endured much more difficult circumstances over the past four years and have been ready for the worst, namely, Trump’s opponent winning and the ‘Deep State’ maintaining control over U.S. leadership. We would have continued defending our national interests regardless. If Trump manages to weaken the ‘Deep State,‘ relations with the U.S. will improve; if not, they will remain as they are. Even under the current situation, we will fully defend Georgia’s interests. We are in a one-sided friendship regime—something we’ve grown accustomed to with many nations, including the U.S. We hope this friendship becomes bilateral, but ultimately, that decision isn’t entirely in our hands,” he said.
Addressing criticisms of the Mobilising and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act or the so-called MEGOBARI Act, Kobakhidze stated that it falsely claims Georgia is experiencing democratic backsliding, despite clear evidence of substantial progress.
“What democratic backsliding are they talking about when the facts show remarkable advancements in our democratic institutions? Where were we before 2012, and where are we now? The MEGOBARI Act mentions elections—who would have imagined before 2012 that we would implement electronic registration and voting? That voters could simply press a button, and protocols would be printed instantly? Before 2012, every protocol was manually rewritten at district commissions—a process prone to manipulation. We’ve eliminated the technical possibility for such fraud—that’s the extent of our progress.”
Kobakhidze highlighted improvements in Georgia’s prison system, noting that the inmate population has decreased by 2.5 times, from nearly 25,000 to fewer than 9,000, with inmate mortality falling tenfold. He also pointed to advances in media freedom and the eradication of business racketeering practices that plagued the previous administration.
“In terms of media freedom, they had established a near-monopoly, seizing one television station after another. Today, the media landscape is diverse and vibrant. Regarding business racketeering, I sometimes listen to commission meetings and hear firsthand how systematic and brutal the methods of the previous government were. Thousands of cases involved destroying people’s lives and livelihoods. Many of these abuses ended tragically, even with staged killings—150 demonstrative murders in the streets. And they have the audacity to claim that Georgia has experienced democratic backsliding?” Kobakhidze questioned.
He concluded by criticising certain Western officials for their remarks about Georgia.
“The ‘Deep State‘ has agents operating on specific instructions. One such agent is Joe Wilson, notorious for his anti-Georgian statements. What the Soviet Central Committee wouldn’t have dared to do in the 1980s, we now hear from certain officials in America and Europe today.”
The Georgian Parliament adopted a comprehensive statement condemning the so-called MEGOBARI Act, with 87 votes in favour and no opposition on May 14.
Previously, the U.S. House of Representatives supported the MEGOBARI Act on May 6.
