Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The Georgian prime minister expressed his readiness to restore the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The meeting took place during an official reception honoring heads of state and government who had arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly. “During the conversation, I briefly mentioned our desire to restore the strategic partnership between our countries, which largely depends on the United States itself,” Mr. Kobakhidze told reporters (as quoted by Interfax).
The prime minister noted that Georgia has already taken a step toward restoring relations. “We are waiting for reciprocal steps,” he emphasized. Irakli Kobakhidze did not specify how Mr. Trump responded to this proposal, but he emphasized that the conversation was positive.
Relations between the U.S. and Georgia deteriorated in 2024 following the Georgian government’s adoption of a law on foreign agents. In November 2024, the ruling Georgian Dream party announced its decision to postpone negotiations on Georgia’s accession to the European Union until at least the end of 2028. At that time, the U.S. decided to suspend its strategic partnership with Georgia. This measure was attributed to Tbilisi’s decision regarding European integration, as well as its use of force against protesters.
In March 2026, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia, had already stated that his country was maintaining communication with U.S. leadership, which inspired optimism about resuming relations “with a clean slate.” He emphasized that this process must be based on a “concrete ‘road map’” that strikes a balance between the interests of both countries, and that it must not remain merely on paper, as was the case during the Biden administration. In May 2025, the Georgian authorities had already attempted to establish a dialogue with the Donald Trump administration, when Kobakhidze sent a letter to Trump proposing the development of a “roadmap” for restoring relations and a strategic partnership. However, that message went unanswered at the time.