Georgia pressing U.S. for reset in ties during TRIPP‑route talks
The Georgian government is dissatisfied with its current relationship with the United States, Levan Zhorzholiani, head of the Georgian government administration, said during a meeting in Tbilisi on Tuesday with U.S. State Department Senior Advisor Jonathan Askonas.
According to the government administration, Zhorzholiani stressed Georgia’s readiness to renew a strategic partnership with Washington “from scratch” and to frame it around a “concrete roadmap,” News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.
During the meeting, the parties discussed steps taken by Georgian authorities to boost the country’s transit and connectivity role. Zhorzholiani presented U.S. officials with information on major state investments in railway, road, and port infrastructure that support this objective.
Ties between Georgia and the U.S. have deteriorated following Tbilisi’s adoption of a “foreign agent” law, controversial parliamentary elections, and the decision to freeze EU accession talks. In response, Washington suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia and incrementally imposed sanctions on dozens of Georgian officials, citing human rights abuses and the erosion of democratic institutions.
Despite this strain, the ruling Georgian Dream party has repeatedly expressed hope that relations could improve under Donald Trump’s administration. However, their calls for a “reset” have largely gone unheeded by U.S. officials.
Askonas’s visit is the first by a senior State Department representative to Georgia since Marco Rubio became Secretary of State. But his agenda is not focused on repairing bilateral political relations — instead, the spotlight is on the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) project.
TRIPP is an infrastructure initiative aimed at building a network of rail lines, highways, and pipelines through Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave and create a new transit corridor between the Caspian and Black Seas.
Similar news
