Georgian PM: relations with EU, US will be “restarted” by early next year, calling it “one of our key priorities”

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party's election staff and the Prime Minister of Georgia, on Sunday said the relations with the European Union and the United States would be “qualitatively rebooted” by early next year, noting it was one of the “key priorities” of his Government.

We anticipate a restart in [our] relations, and I believe this will indeed occur. This process is expected to begin intensively next year. We expect the war in Ukraine will end sooner than initially forecasted. By the early months of next year, we anticipate a significant improvement in our relations with both the EU and the US. This is one of our top priorities”, Kobakhidze said.

Speaking at a press briefing, the PM emphasised that integration into the EU remained the “main foreign priority” for the ruling party.

Kobakhidze conveyed his dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs, but expressed confidence the upcoming months would mark a turning point, noting “it [restarting the relations] is crucial not only for our country’s development but also for the interests of the EU and the US".