Ruling party MP welcomes US ‘signals’ on resetting ties

Irakli Kirtskhalia, leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority, on Monday said it was significant that US officials had acknowledged inheriting a “difficult legacy” from the Joe Biden administration in relations with Georgia, stressing that Tbilisi was ready to begin qualitatively new relations with Washington.

“Our position is well known. We are ready for fundamentally new relations with the United States,” Kirtskhalia said.

He described recent messages from senior representatives of the US presidential administration as clearly positive and welcomed the signals coming from Washington.

“It is unequivocally welcome and a very positive development to hear such messages from the highest representatives of the US presidential administration. As for our position, it is well known both to Georgian society and to representatives of the new US administration that the Georgian government is ready to start relations with the United States from a clean slate,” Kirtskhalia said.

He notes it was particularly important that the American side had said that it inherited a “very difficult legacy” in relations with Georgia following the Biden administration.

“The most important thing is that our American friends have openly acknowledged that they inherited a very difficult legacy specifically in relation to Georgia. This is a very positive and significant fact. Now we will see how relations between the two countries - two strategic partners - develop, and how the damaged ties caused by the previous administration will be restored, as our American partners have clearly and explicitly stated,” Kirtskhalia added.