Georgian Dream officials say they expect a visit by U.S. State Department representatives in May, amid hopes to reset ties and ongoing uncertainty over largely frozen ties between Washington and Tbilisi.
The expectations for May follow earlier statements from the ruling party that such a visit would take place in April, while the U.S. Embassy in Georgia reiterates that it has “nothing to announce” at this stage regarding any potential visits.
Relations between the two countries have remained strained since November 2024, when the United States under President Joe Biden suspended the strategic partnership with Georgia and sanctioned Georgian Dream founder and Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili a month later. Washington under President Donald Trump has remained largely silent toward Tbilisi, despite Georgian Dream’s claims of “shared values” and stated efforts to reset relations “from a clean slate.”
“A visit by representatives of the U.S. State Department to Georgia will take place in May,” Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said in a late-night interview with Public Broadcaster on April 29. “Meetings will be scheduled not only with me, but also with various representatives of the Georgian government,” she added, without revealing who will arrive.
Botchorishvili cited “a number of consultations” with the American side, including a phone call between Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as recent visits to Tbilisi and Washington.
“In May, we expect further steps and the continuation of consultations,” she said, adding, “A lot depends on how events develop and what the outcomes of the consultations will be. At this stage, we can assess the communications and meetings held so far with the U.S. side as positive and productive, as the planned visits are precisely a continuation and reflection of this process.”
“By the end of May, communication between the Georgian and American sides will deepen,” Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists earlier that day. According to Kobakhidze, “there are very specific plans,” “communication will take place in specific directions,” and “there will be a number of communications by the end of May.” Neither did he provide any details.
Amid officials’ remarks, government-critical TV Pirveli reported that Sonata Coulter, a Deputy Assistant Secretary who oversees Russia, the Caucasus, and European security and political affairs, is expected to visit Tbilisi in May. The U.S. Embassy, however, reiterated its earlier message to the media, “At this stage, we have nothing to announce.”
Georgian Dream leaders had previously cited April as a target timeframe for renewed engagement. Among them was Tbilisi Mayor and Georgian Dream Secretary Kakha Kaladze, who said on April 1 that “various types of meetings” were planned in the United States and hinted at “interesting developments” to come.
In early February, Georgian Dream Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia visited Washington, where he met with the officials of the State Department and the Commerce Department.
On February 6, Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Botchorishvili had what appeared to be a brief exchange with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Milan during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
In early March, several Georgian Dream MPs attended the inaugural summit of the Alliance of Sovereign Nations, at the invitation of controversial U.S. Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna. The delegation also held meetings with U.S. officials.
Separately, during a late March visit to Georgia, Peter Andreoli of the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs visited the Anaklia Deep Sea Port site. The strategic project, initially awarded in 2016 to the Anaklia Development Consortium, a Georgian-American venture, has remained largely stalled since the government terminated the contract amid controversies.
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