Giorgi Sharashidze: Kobakhidze’s handshake photo with Trump was purely protocol-driven - No substantive issues could have been discussed during the handshake
“Resetting strategic relations with the United States cannot be achieved through protocol meetings, protocol photos, and handshakes. The photo of the handshake with Donald Trump was also absolutely a protocol photo,” Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of parliament from the For Georgia party, told journalists, commenting on the publication of a photo of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and US President Donald Trump by the government.
According to Sharashidze, the fact that Georgian Dream needs to circulate the photo and present it as a major achievement is “another misfortune and problem.”
“Resetting strategic relations with the United States cannot be achieved through protocol meetings, protocol photos, and handshakes. The fact that Georgian Dream needs to circulate this photo and present it as some kind of special achievement is another misfortune and problem.
“The UN General Assembly is held every year, and the President of the United States traditionally hosts an official reception for the leaders of member states. I have never downplayed the importance of our country’s political leaders addressing the UN General Assembly, and I will not do so in this case either. However, given the current circumstances, I cannot attach any particular significance to it, because we have clearly seen that no serious, substantive, or business-oriented meeting took place.
“The photo of the handshake with Donald Trump was also absolutely a protocol photo. Of course, no particularly important issues could have been discussed during the handshake itself. The very fact that Georgian Dream needs to wave this photo around points to other problems within Georgian Dream,” Sharashidze said.
For reference, the Government Administration announced yesterday that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze attended an official reception hosted by US President Donald Trump in New York on September 22.
The government’s press service also released a photo showing Kobakhidze and Trump shaking hands.
“On September 22, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze attended an official reception hosted by US President Donald Trump in New York in honor of the leaders of countries participating in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly,” the statement said.
