Gigi Tsereteli - If someone shakes the hand of a representative of the Georgian Dream several times, this is not restoration of relations - the more America is involved in Georgian issues, the less harm the Dream will do
The strategic partnership with the United States has been suspended, and now if someone shakes the hand of a representative of the Georgian Dream several times, this is not the restoration of relations, - said Gigi Tsereteli, the leader of the European Georgia, while assessing the telephone conversation between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to Tsereteli, under the conditions of democracy, free elections and the existence of political prisoners in Georgia, a strategic partnership with neither the US nor any other democratic state will work.
"The fact that certain meetings or phone calls are taking place does not mean full-scale cooperation and partnership with the West. We know and see that integration with the European Union is suspended, strategic partnership with the United States is suspended, and now if someone shakes the hand of a representative of the Georgian Dream several times, this is not the restoration of relations. As for this conversation that took place specifically, I think, without any speculation, it is adequate that in such a situation, what is happening in the region - there is a war in Iran and Ukraine, there is a high interest from the US side and this communication exists at this specific moment. One thing everyone should remember well is that no strategic partnership with the United States of America or any democratic country will be possible on the scale that the country needs if there is no democracy, free elections and if there are political prisoners. There are regional issues - the more America is involved in Georgian issues, the more it pays attention to them, the less harm the government will do today,” Tsereteli said.
For information, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. According to the State Department, they discussed areas of mutual interest.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze today. They discussed areas of mutual interest including security in the Caucasus and Black Sea region,” the US State Department said in a statement.
