TBILISI, January 26 – Georgia’s government has sought to downplay the fact that U.S. Vice President JD Vance will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan next month without stopping in Georgia, saying the trip follows a specific regional agenda and should not be overinterpreted.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the itinerary reflects the purpose of the visit rather than a political signal toward Tbilisi. He noted that the trip is linked to U.S.-backed peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan and said it was natural for Georgia not to be included.
The visit was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Vance will travel to the region in February to support peace initiatives and a U.S. development framework known as TRIPP. Trump praised Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for maintaining a peace agreement signed in August last year.
Kobakhidze acknowledged that relations between Georgia and the United States have been strained, but said his government is ready to reset ties. He criticized the previous U.S. administration under President Joe Biden for what he described as unfair treatment toward Georgia and said the country remains in a waiting mode regarding future relations with Washington.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, also from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said expectations that Trump would quickly end wars or dismantle the “Deep State” have not yet been met. He said Georgia continues to wait for clearer signals from the new U.S. administration.
Opposition figure Grigol Gegelia, international spokesperson of the opposition party Lelo, said Georgia’s exclusion from the tour shows growing international isolation and a loss of regional relevance. He argued that no normalization has taken place between Tbilisi and Washington since Trump returned to office.
Since Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, both sides of Georgia’s polarized politics have claimed alignment with Washington. Government officials point to a congratulatory letter Trump sent to President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Georgia’s national day and to similarities in political rhetoric about a range of culture war topics.
The opposition, meanwhile, highlights proposed U.S. legislation known as the MEGOBARI Act, backed by Congressman Joe Wilson, as well as visits to Washington by former president Salome Zourabichvili and opposition figures.
