Georgian Parliament speaker hopes for reset in US relations but notes some disappointment

The recent visit of a Georgian parliamentary delegation to Washington, has raised expectations for a potential reset in Georgia-United States relations, but the delegation also noted some degree of passivity from Washington, Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said on Monday.

Speaking to the media, Papuashvili said the delegation anticipated closer contacts and a fresh start in bilateral relations, but stressed that concrete actions from the US’s new administration were expected.

“The fact is that what we discussed regarding USAID - the use of American funds to support anti-democratic changes in Georgia - was confirmed by the Trump administration itself,” Papuashvili said. “They closed organisations involved in such harmful activities in other countries. Similarly, discussions about informal governance were also validated. Essentially, Trump identified as political opponents the forces we had mentioned as working against Georgia.”

He added that, given this context, the delegation has not yet observed proactive steps from Washington, which was “somewhat disappointing.” Nevertheless, Papuashvili said there remained hope for stronger engagement and a reset in US-Georgia relations under the new US administration.