“Breakthrough in relations with the U.S. will be impossible without taking steps that are not visible on the surface,” said Irakli Pavlenishvili, a member of the United National Movement (UNM).

According to Pavlenishvili, both Georgia and the entire region remain significant for the U.S.

“It won’t happen as many authoritarians and people inclined to authoritarianism want, that the leader of the free world abandons the region or loses interest in this country. A breakthrough in relations with the U.S. will be impossible without taking steps that are not visible on the surface. How can the reset happen if concrete political steps are not taken? These relations were paused and at a stalemate, and Ivanishvili was sanctioned. Certain steps should be taken to restore the relations.

The U.S. has been demanding this for months now and has publicly stated that there are concrete steps to be taken that Ivanishvili is aware of, and that will convince American partners of the seriousness of his intentions.

The delegation from the U.S. Department of State should arrive in Georgia and hold talks over the methods through which the Georgian state will resolve the crisis and the steps which Ivanishvili must take on this path.

The resources for improving US-Georgian relations will only exist if Ivanishvili and his regime come to their senses and realize that establishing a dictatorship in the country is not possible, both due to internal pressure and the factor that our international partners do not intend to abandon our country,” he said.