Opinion: ‘Georgia is seeking to repair ties with US in effort to secure lifting of sanctions on Ivanishvili’
Giorgi Rukhadze, founder of the Strategic Analysis Center, believes that the Georgian authorities are trying to repair relations with the United States in an effort to have sanctions lifted from Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party
Rukhadze also argued that Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had insulted Republican Congressman Joe Wilson and that such “audacity” would have consequences.
“Georgia is not a schoolchild who can be held back a year and told to improve. Georgia is a dignified sovereign state, and we have made that clear everywhere. If anything has damaged US-Georgian relations in recent years, it is entirely the fault of the previous administration. Joe Wilson claimed that Georgia was being used to circumvent sanctions on Iran. What could be more disgraceful than that?” Kobakhidze said.
He also categorically rejected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement that Tbilisi had sought guidance from Washington on how to restore relations between the two countries.
Giorgi Rukhadze said:
“What Mr Rubio said indicates that Georgian Dream is trying to somehow repair relations with the United States. Their main objective is to have sanctions lifted from Ivanishvili. As is often the case with Georgian Dream, they have probably made certain promises. They have likely signalled a willingness to take some concerns into account and make concessions in certain areas.
Mr Rubio said, ‘if they change their behaviour’. He was not talking about Georgia; he was talking about Georgian Dream. Georgia is not a schoolchild being held back a year. Georgian Dream is the one that has been held back and is now trying to retake the exam. That is what this is about.
Kobakhidze insulted Joe Wilson when he told journalists that they ‘should not stoop to Wilson’s level’. He humiliated the man, even though, as a political figure, Kobakhidze is a worm compared with Joe Wilson. Kobakhidze is nobody, whereas Joe Wilson is a very influential politician. He has been a member of Congress for many years and is close to Trump. I do not think Kobakhidze will get away with such audacity.”
Georgia seeks to repair relations with the US
