Biden cancels invitation to Georgian PM, citing "anti-democratic actions" by Tbilisi

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has reportedly been disinvited from a reception for world leaders hosted by US President Joe Biden during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), marking a significant downturn in US-Georgian relations.

On September 25, officials announced that Kobakhidze, who is set to address the UN General Assembly on September 26, initially received an invitation that was subsequently cancelled by the United States, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

Reports indicated that the US has declined all meetings with Kobakhidze's delegation.

The US embassy in Tbilisi cited the cancellation was due to what it termed the Georgian government's "anti-democratic actions, disinformation, and negative rhetoric towards the US and the West." In response, parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili dismissed the disinvitation as "frivolous."

Once seen as a strong ally of the West and a major recipient of US aid since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia's relations with Western nations have recently deteriorated amid growing concerns over authoritarianism and pro-Russian sentiments within the government. 

Biden is scheduled to host world leaders and senior UN officials at a traditional reception in New York on September 25.

By Khagan Isayev