Head of ruling party electoral office highlights rebooting relations with US, EU as “most important” national task

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the electoral office of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Prime Minister, on Monday said rebooting relations with the United States and the European Union was the “most important” national task of his Government.

In his address at the presentation of the ruling party’s election programme ahead of the October 26 parliamentary elections, Kobakhidze noted that the ruling team was not satisfied with the state of relations “we have today”.

We are taking all steps to reboot relations, and we are confident that next year, after the end of the war in Ukraine, reciprocal steps will be taken [from our partners], which will ensure the reboot of relations, both with the United States and the European Union”, the PM said.

He further stressed that European integration remained one of the “main” foreign policy priorities of the country.

By 2030, Georgia will be the most ready to join the European Union among the [EU membership] candidate countries. We have a plan to exceed 90 percent in fulfilling the obligations stipulated in the Association Agreement by 2028”, Kobakhidze continued.

He added that enhancing cooperation with NATO was one of the top priorities of his Government, and further pointed out that “also, deepening the strategic partnership with China, which is of great importance both from the economic and political point of view”.