Kobakhidze slams Rubio ‘behaviour’ remarks as US-Georgia tensions rise

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has strongly criticised recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying Georgia will not accept being treated as a state whose “behaviour” must be corrected, amid renewed tensions between Tbilisi and Washington.

Responding to journalists in Tbilisi, Kobakhidze said such framing was unacceptable for a sovereign country, News.Az reports, citing News Georgia.

“Georgia is not a schoolkid to be left back for the autumn and told to improve. Georgia is a dignified sovereign state, and we have clearly stated this everywhere,” he said.

Rubio had earlier said he hoped Washington could improve not only US–Georgia relations but also what he described as Georgia’s “behaviour”. The remark prompted a sharp response from Kobakhidze, who insisted relations must be based on equality.

He said Tbilisi remained interested in restoring its strategic partnership with the United States, but stressed that any dialogue must be conducted “on the principles of equality and justice”.

“If anything has been damaged in Georgian-American relations in recent years, it is 100% the responsibility of the previous administration,” he said, referring to the presidency of Joe Biden.

The prime minister again accused the Biden administration of exerting pressure on Georgia, saying the country had rejected demands that would have created what he described as “serious risks”, without specifying them.

“What was damaged by injustice can only be repaired by a just approach,” he added.

Kobakhidze also rejected Rubio’s claim that Georgian officials had asked Washington what was needed to improve relations.

“We have never, ever asked such a question,” he said.

Asked whether this meant Rubio was lying, Kobakhidze avoided a direct accusation.

“What does lying have to do with it? A person may interpret something differently. But I say with full responsibility: neither I nor any of my colleagues asked such a question,” he said.

Tensions were further fuelled by Republican congressman Joe Wilson, who described the ruling Georgian Dream party as “pro-Iranian” and accused Tbilisi of assisting Tehran in bypassing sanctions.

Kobakhidze dismissed the allegations with irritation.

“What Iran? Are you Joe Wilsons?” he told journalists.

He later reiterated that claims of cooperation with Iran were “shameful”, urging critics not to “descend to the level of Joe Wilson and Eka Gigauri”.

The prime minister said Iran’s share in Georgia’s foreign trade remained minimal, with exports at around 0.5% and imports at approximately 1.5%.

He also rejected interpretations that Rubio had endorsed Wilson’s characterisation of the Georgian government as “pro-Iranian”.

“What did he agree with? That we are a pro-Iranian government? He did not agree. You want him to agree,” Kobakhidze said.

Speaking before Congress on 2 June, Rubio said the US administration had received “some positive responses” from Tbilisi on proposals to improve bilateral relations and hoped to see a “change in trajectory”.

“We hope that we can change not only the direction of our relationship with Georgia, but also its behaviour,” he said.

Responding to Wilson, Rubio also said: “You are correct about Georgia,” adding that the issues raised reflected existing US concerns.

The exchange drew attention in Tbilisi, where Wilson had accused the Georgian government of election fraud, closer alignment with China, and assisting Iran in sanctions evasion.

Despite the sharp rhetoric, Kobakhidze said he remained committed to dialogue with Washington and expressed optimism about restoring strategic ties.

News.Az