US Ambassador Degnan confirms meetings with Ivanishvili “on strategic partnership”

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Thursday confirmed a meeting with the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, on March 21 of this year, as Ivanishvili said in his letter on Wednesday.

 

Unlike Ivanishvili who refrained from unveiling the details of the “three-hour discussion”, Degnan suggested that the meeting concerned the US-Georgia partnership and “no matter” Georgia’s dragining into the Russia’s war in Ukraine or any blackmail towards Ivanishvili, who is called an “informal ruler” of the country by the opposition.

 

“As a rule, we do not talk about personal meetings with the press, but as Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili confirmed, I last met him on March 21, after which a lot of time has passed. Our meetings have always been about the US-Georgia strategic partnership and US efforts to support the development of Georgia’s economy, security and democracy.

 

“Let me say it very clearly so that no one has any more questions – there was never any talk about Georgia’s dragging into Russia’s war in Ukraine, or about blackmail or any other actions related to delaying the transfer of money to Mr. Ivanishvili,” Degnan suggested.

 

The former MPs of the ruling party,who left the GD last month, claimed on Wednesday that Degnan tried to exert pressure on Ivanishvili to drag Georgia into Russia’s war in Ukraine.

 

Ivanishvili said that the meeting shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine took place per the request of Degnan.

 

He made no other comments on the issue, generally speaking in the letter that “some forces have been trying to drag Georgia into the war”.

 

Ivanishvili also said that the delay in the transfer of 500 million USD from a Swiss bank was “connected with Georgia,” noting that he would settle  the issue himself, without the public involvement.