US will not accept Ivanishvili’s agenda, opposition

Irakli Pavlenishvili, deputy secretary general of the United National Movement, on Friday claimed the United States will not support what he described as the political agenda of ruling party founder and honorary chair  Bidzina Ivanishvili, amid ongoing tensions over the country’s foreign policy direction.

He said United States officials had made clear in recent months that Washington maintains specific expectations regarding Georgia.

“The United States is not a political actor that will easily carry out Ivanishvili’s agenda or give up its own concrete demands,” he said.

Pavlenishvili added that the US seeks stable and normal relations with Georgia, but argued this depended on limiting what he described as growing Russian influence in the country.

“America wants to have stable and normal relations with Georgia. For that, it is necessary that Ivanishvili can no longer increase Russian influence in Georgia, including undermining the country’s democracy - this is the US position towards Georgia,” he said.