Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) met Eric Rubin, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for EU and Eurasian Affairs, Tuesday. (Official photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch — Eric Rubin, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for EU and Eurasian Affairs, held a meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili on Tuesday.

At the meeting the parties spoke about US-Georgian relations, expressing hope to further deepen relations between the two countries. Also on the agenda was mending relations between Georgia and Russia.

Ivanishvili said that his second meeting with Rubin was very interesting and friendly.

“We once again analyzed bilateral relations between the two countries,” he said after the meeting. “I thanked him for the huge assistance the US is giving to Georgia, and I expressed hope that our relations will deepen within governance of the new government.”

Rubin said he was glad to be back in Tbilisi and underlined that their conversation was very positive.

“I am here for several reasons. One is to discuss our strategic and security relationship in the context of our strategic partnership commission and to talk about how we can continue to move Georgia forward to achieve its aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration and membership in NATO and EU and how we can continue to deepen and strengthen our partnership in Afghanistan and in other areas,” Rubin said.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said he is also here to talk about how to further Georgia’s efforts to make progress on the priorities that the new government has established on moving forward economically and building trade relations.

Rubin will today also meet with Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze and Secretary of the Security Council of Georgia, Giga Bokeria.