Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has addressed an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, amid the unprecedented international isolation that the GD government faces, due to its democratic backsliding, repression, anti-Western rhetoric, and U-turn on EU membership. The letter anticipates the imminent discussion of the MEGOBARI Act in the U.S. Senate, after its passage in Congress last week. Written in a frustrated tone, the letter expresses the government’s grievance that its offers to restart relations with the U.S. “from a clean slate” have gone unnoticed.
The letter begins by noting the lack of response to the author’s previous letter to President Trump, as well as the absence of high-level communication since then. Kobakhidze states that he had expressed a willingness to renew the strategic partnership between the two countries “guided by a specific roadmap,” and writes that he finds the absence of a response “surprising.”
Notably, throughout the letter, the position of the Georgian Dream government is equated with the position and sentiments of the Georgian people. For instance, “the silence of the new administration is both unexpected and perplexing for the Government of Georgia and people alike”, Kobakhidze writes, citing three main reasons for this “surprise.”
First, Kobakhidze notes that Georgia has been the “the most reliable partner” in the region for the US, stressing that it fought alongside the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan and contributed the most per capita. He further claims that through the participation in missions in these two countries, Georgia helped the U.S. save 2.5 billion dollars – a sum that he emphasizes, “far exceeds” what he calls the “actual aid” Georgia has received from the U.S. budget. The actual aid in Kobakhidze’s words excludes the funds “allocated from the U.S. budget during 2008–2011 to preserve the regime of former president Mikheil Saakashvili after he initiated a war with Russia at the behest of the Deep State.” He thus repeats the GD narrative that the 2008 war was the work of the “deep state”, thereby whitewashing Russian aggression against Georgia and shifting the blame for the war on the “deep state”.
“Nor do we consider as “actual aid” the funds channeled through the US Embassy, USAID, NED, the Soros Foundation and similar entities” Kobakhidze writes, claiming that these funds were used “to to incite radicalism and hatred, organize revolutions, undermine the image of the Georgian Orthodox Church, encourage religious extremism, weaken state institutions, promote gender and LGBT propaganda and pursue other such goals.”
Kobakhidze further claims that Georgia is a “regional leader” in democracy, rule of law, human rights, media freedom, judicial independence, strength of state institutions, low corruption, and “other key indicators.” He asserts that this “leadership” is confirmed by international rankings and institutions the Trump administration “particularly trusts,” without naming them, however.
“Taking all this into account – and given that your administration actively engages in dialogue and communication with numerous states, including some that are openly undemocratic and authoritarian – your silence with regard to Georgia lacks any logical explanation from our perspective,” the letter says.
As a final point, Kobakhidze appeals to Trump using as an argument “striking alignment” of values and ideology between the Georgian Dream and the Trump administration. He notes that the Georgian Dream has long spoken about “criminal activities” of the “Deep State,” USAID, NED, and “other related entities.” The letter also claims that Georgian Dream and Trump’s views on the war in Ukraine, gender, “LGBT propaganda,” and “many other issues” are “completely aligned.” Taking into account this perceived alignment, Kobakhidze invokes the Georgian people again, saying that “the Georgian people initially expected that Georgia would be among the first countries to attract particular interest from your administration.”
“However, to the surprise of the Georgian people and ourselves, your administration has not shown such attention to Georgia to this day,” he writes.
The letter goes on to express frustration with U.S. sanctions against GD officials, which it says had been wrongly imposed “for effectively preventing the attempted revolution and violence planned by the Biden administration and financed through USAID,” and notes with disappointment that the sanctions “remain in force.”
In addition, Kobakhidze criticizes the MEGOBARI Act, a bill that has recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives with significant support. He calls the legislation, which targets Georgian Dream officials, an “absurd law” and “hostile” to what he calls “the Georgian people and the government they democratically elected.” He notes that “we wouldn’t even have paid attention to the Friendship Act—were it not for the fact that many actors attribute this legislation to your administration.”
Kobakhidze argues that President Trump’s statements about “defeating” the “deep state” have sparked a “growing sense in Georgian society” that these remarks are merely an attempt at “rebranding” the very “deep state” Trump criticizes. “People find it perplexing that, while you harshly criticize President Biden’s decisions, you have yet to reverse any of his criminal actions,” Kobakhidze reprimands the U.S. president.
Kobakhidze notes that the Georgian Dream is ” truly hopeful” that Trump will “defeat” the “deep state” – and this will “undoubtedly” lead to the reset of US-Georgian relations.
“Otherwise, the revolutionary scenario planned under the Biden administration will continue to unfold,” Kobakhidze predicts. He goes on to mention the ongoing pro-democracy and pro-Western protests in Georgia: “Let us remind you that around 250 individuals—trained and funded by USAID and NED—still gather daily on the central avenue of our capital, which is undeniable evidence that the Deep State has not yet shelved its plans for revolution.”
The letter concludes by reiterating that there are many “unanswered questions,” but the Georgian ruling party remains “optimistic” and “hopeful” that Trump will prevail in the fight against the “deep state.”
“The Government of Georgia is patiently awaiting that moment—one that should lay the foundation for a reset in US-Georgia relations and the restoration of strategic partnership between our two countries,” the letter concludes, wishing Trump success in his “struggle” against the “deep state” and the strength and prosperity of the Unite States.
0 Comment