Rubio Hopes to Change ‘Trajectory’ of U.S. Relationship with Georgia, Tbilisi’s ‘Behavior’ - The World Web Times

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United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope to “perhaps change the trajectory not just of [U.S.] relationship with Georgia, but of their behavior” as he responded to the question of Rep. Joe Wilson during a hearing at the House Foreign Affairs Committee on June 3.

Rep. Wilson, a fierce critic of Georgian Dream rule, asked Rubio what “should be done to address the rapidly expanding radicalization promoted by the Georgian Dream government in the Republic of Georgia.” Apparently referring to the GD government, Wilson said: “The pro-Iranian regime — and the Chinese Communist Party supported Georgian Dream government, which is illegitimate — threatened American access. There was a rigged election in Georgia. With that in mind, they’re facilitating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in evading sanctions to Tehran.”

Responding to Rep. Wilson, Secretary Rubio said: “You’re right. Everything you just outlined is our preexisting concerns, since that time they’ve made some steps indicating to us they want to improve relations with the United States, we’ve outlined to them what that would take, what that would require, we have seen some positive responses, and so our hope is that we can see a change in trajectory in the case of Georgia from where it is today.”

Rubio called Rep. Wilson’s points “preexisting problems for us,” noting that “they [Tbilisi] have asked us what will it take to have a better relationship with the United States, we’ve responded, and hopefully we can build on that basis and perhaps change the trajectory not just of our relationship with Georgia, but of their behavior.”

The remarks come amid continued uncertainty, but also intensifying contacts, in Tbilisi–Washington relations. After a prolonged period of strain in bilateral ties, recent months have seen increased engagement between officials from the two countries, including a phone call between Secretary Rubio and Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, as well as repeated visits to Tbilisi by U.S. State Department representatives.

In a statement that followed the latest such visit late in May, the U.S. delegation said that during the meeting with GD officials, the sides discussed “a path forward for improving bilateral relations,” stressing the need for “a stable domestic political climate that facilitates opposition engagement,” among others, for a sustainable strategic partnership between the two countries.

The United States, under the Joe Biden administration, suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, a traditional ally, in November 2024 during the Tbilisi protests and later in the same year imposed sanctions on the ruling party’s billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili. The Donald Trump administration has yet to reverse those decisions.

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