Georgian PM condemns US sanctions bill as antagonistic, unjust

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has sharply criticised the recently passed MEGOBARI Act in the US House of Representatives, describing it as a deeply antagonistic move toward both the Georgian public and its elected leadership.

The legislation proposes sanctions against officials within the Georgian government, a measure that has drawn starkly different reactions across Georgia’s political spectrum, Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

While opposition parties view the act as an endorsement of Georgia’s pro-European ambitions, the ruling Georgian Dream party has denounced it as a hostile gesture.

Kobakhidze stated, “The MEGOBARI Act is imbued from beginning to end with hostility toward the Georgian people and the government elected by the Georgian people.”

“How can you call it a ‘friendly act’ when it is filled, from start to finish, with hostility toward the Georgian people and the government they elected? This is a hostile act,” the prime minister added. 

Kobakhidze went further to frame the bill as evidence of the influence of the so-called “deep state” in American policymaking. “When such a decision is made, it means that at that specific moment, the ‘deep state’ has defeated the Trump administration. That’s what we witnessed a few days ago,” he said. 

He expressed hope that a return of Donald Trump to office would reverse course and improve US-Georgia relations, stating, “We still remain hopeful that the Trump administration will prevail over the ‘deep state’. If that happens, then relations between Georgia and the United States will improve.”

By Naila Huseynova