“Visit with reservations does not align with the strategic spirit and friendly relations as we view the United States,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

According to his speech, setting preconditions when inviting the Prime Minister for a high-level visit contradicts friendly relations.

“It is regrettable that the U.S. Ambassador made this statement in such an interpretation. The Foreign Ministry responded to it. Visit with reservations does not align with the strategic spirit and friendly relations as we view the United States. We are always ready to speak to the U.S. Ambassador in the country as well as our partners in the United States.

Recently, the Georgian parliamentary delegation visited the U.S. and held meetings in the Congress, Senate and the Department of State.

However, setting preconditions when inviting the Prime Minister for a high-level visit contradicts trust-based friendly relations between our countries,” he said.

On May 2, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, said: “Recently, we have invited senior members of the Georgian Government to engage directly with the most senior leaders in the United States to discuss our strategic partnership and any concerns with U.S. assistance. Unfortunately, the Georgian side chose not to accept this invitation.”

Georgian Foreign Ministry said that the PM’s invitation to the US with the agreement to temporarily suspend Transparency Bill discussion “does not reflect the Georgia-US partnership spirit.”