I was able to deliver the main "message" to the future U.S. ministers, stating that Georgia is at a truly turning point – either they will drag us back to Russia, or we will continue the path that has been Georgia's path since independence, – the fifth president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, said during a meeting at the Atlantic Council.

“Before the inauguration, I had the opportunity to attend several pre-inaugural receptions in this city. At these events, I was introduced to several ministers from the cabinet, who have not yet been confirmed by the Senate, but these were the first contacts.

So, as it usually happens with such first contacts, I was introduced, and I was able to deliver my main "message" to them, specifically, that Georgia, more than ever, needs the attention of its American friends, because the situation there is critical. We are at a truly turning point – either they will drag us back to Russia, or we will continue the path that has been Georgia's path since independence. A path in which the American role has been of vital importance in the creation and consolidation of our institutions, our army, and, generally, in the country's independence.

So, this is what the people of Georgia want today, as they wanted yesterday, and as they must want in the future. So, in my opinion, the people of the future administration need to know this, because in Georgia, this is not just a political issue, and despite its importance, not just an issue of human rights and repression, it is truly an existential issue – whether Georgia will be able to continue its path as an independent country, as a country that wants the recognition of its sovereignty and support for the Euro-Atlantic path,” Zurabishvili said.