Irakli Zarkua: You want me to say that Ambassador Dunnigan disobeyed the administration because she didn’t publish Trump’s letter, and that’s why she was forced to make the decision to leave — but I will neither confirm nor deny that

“We read that Ambassador Dunnigan has retired. In a situation damaged by her predecessor, she had the opportunity to play a positive role, but unfortunately, she failed to use that opportunity properly,” said Georgian Dream MP Irakli Zarkua, commenting on U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan’s departure from her post in Georgia.

According to him, Dunnigan did not fulfill the mission expected of her — a mission that ambassadors in general are supposed to fulfill — which is to improve relations between states and eliminate misunderstandings.

“I wish her success in retirement. I believe the mission she and ambassadors in general are entrusted with is to improve interstate relations and overcome misunderstandings. Unfortunately, she was unable to do that. We will wait for the new ambassador, and I am confident our message remains the same: that we are ready to start a new chapter in Georgian-American relations. Therefore, we expect a reset in policy,” Zarkua stated.

Regarding the question of whether Dunnigan’s decision may be related to the fact that the embassy did not publish the letter sent by Donald Trump to Mikheil Kavelashvili, Zarkua said he would neither confirm nor deny it.

“Our position has been open and clear to all our partners. We have said that Georgia has its own national interests, values, and the Georgian people have their own demands, which we are fulfilling. We call on all states to take into account the interests of the Georgian people and the Georgian state. This is about respect for dignity, culture, history, and interests. The Trump administration came with the approach of putting American interests first. We are the same — there is much in common between our administrations, and I’m sure we’ll find common ground. At the very least, we’re ready to start anew.

You want me to say that the embassy and ambassador disobeyed the Trump administration and were forced to make this decision. What was the Trump administration’s position? – They congratulated our president, and yet the letter has not been made public after all this time, which they are obligated to do. You want me to say that, but I will neither confirm nor deny it,” Zarkua said.

For context, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan has announced her decision to retire. She stated that her departure was not requested by her government.