Georgian PM accuses previous US administration of political pressure on Tbilisi

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the previous US administration of applying excessive political pressure on Georgia despite describing the country as a strategic partner.

Speaking at a government administration briefing on Tuesday, Kobakhidze said Washington had frequently acted "completely unfairly" and used various forms of political and diplomatic pressure against Georgia.

He said the approach had been particularly evident in disputes concerning Georgia's sovereignty, legislation, transparency and social values.

"The previous US administration often acted extremely harshly and completely unfairly towards a country it referred to as a strategic partner," Kobakhidze said.

He argued that the experience demonstrated how states can behave towards countries they describe as friends or strategic partners, saying this was relevant to understanding the political decisions made by King Erekle II in the late 18th century.

"When the Georgian government tried to defend its position on certain issues and make independent decisions, we received various forms of political and diplomatic pressure in response," Kobakhidze said.