On August 27, Georgian Dream Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili met with U.S. Envoy Alan Purcell. Purcell is the chargé d’affaires who has served as acting U.S. ambassador in Georgia since Robin Dunnigan retired from diplomatic service and left the country in July.
“Charge Purcell met with Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Kvrivishvili on Wednesday to discuss the economic ties between our countries and the investment climate in Georgia for American companies,” the U.S. Embassy said in a brief statement, without providing further details.
The Ministry of Economy of Georgia shared more details about the meeting in its press release.
According to the Ministry, the sides at the meeting discussed “priority areas in Georgia-U.S. relations.”
“The attention was drawn to the importance of the bilateral strategic partnership,” the ministry said. “It was noted that the Georgian side is interested in resetting relations with the United States and restoring strategic cooperation,” the ministry added.
The United States suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia on November 30, 2024, after Georgian Dream abandoned EU integration efforts and responded to protests with brutal force.
“The minister highlighted the importance of President Trump’s peace initiatives, including the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has created new opportunities for development in the South Caucasus,” the press release said, adding Kvirivishvili’s note that “the achieved result is important for maintaining peace and security in the region, which is the Georgian government’s policy priority.”
According to the Economy Ministry, the sides discussed a “wide spectrum of economic cooperation,” including trade, investment, and transport.
“From both sides, attention was drawn to the importance of developing the Middle Corridor,” the press release said, adding that Georgia’s role as a “key player in regional transport projects” was emphasized.
“It was also noted that trade turnover between the countries is growing, reaching USD 1.6 billion in the January–July period.”
U.S.-Georgia Relations
Georgian Dream officials continue to lament what they call “absolute silence” from Washington. A day after the meeting, GD representatives commented on Russian media claims that former USAID chief Samantha Power had “admitted” financing efforts to support Moldova’s pro-Western government.
GD MP Levan Machavariani said the ruling party was “surprised by the silence of the U.S. administration toward Georgia … when we agree on absolutely everything, when in this and other areas we were, and remain, Mr. Trump’s supporters.” Machavariani and fellow MP Gia Volski also linked the USAID claims to an ongoing probe into Georgian NGOs.
With U.S.-Georgia relations at a low point, Tbilisi has declared its intention to reset ties with Washington “from a clear slate” and resume the strategic partnership “with a specific roadmap.”
In July, before leaving the country, U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service that Georgian Dream had sent a letter to the Trump administration she described as “threatening,” “insulting,” and “unserious,” adding it was “received extremely poorly in Washington.” GD said the private letter was similar to another, public one in which GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze asked Donald Trump to break the silence toward Georgia.
In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the Trump administration was reviewing relations with Georgia, saying the U.S. would consider whether it is “in our national interest to have an anti-American government governing an important part of the world.”
The U.S. MEGOBARI Act, which passed the House of Representatives in May with strong bipartisan support and awaits Senate consideration, envisions wider sanctions on Georgian Dream officials in response to Georgia’s deteriorating democratic situation and what it says is the ruling party’s rapprochement with Russia, China, and Iran.
Also Read:
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- 16/06/2025 – GD Foreign Minister Meets State Department’s Senior Advisor
- 15/05/2025 – Kobakhidze Describes Current US-Georgia Relations as “Active-Negative”
- 26/04/2025 – Davitashvili Visits United States, Participates in World Bank, IMF Spring Meetings