Grigol Gegelia, Foreign Secretary of Lelo – Strong Georgia, has sharply criticized the planned visit of US Vice President J. D. Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan in February, calling Georgia’s absence from the itinerary a “direct geopolitical catastrophe.”
Gegelia claimed that the fact that a US official of such high rank is visiting the South Caucasus without mentioning or stopping in Georgia is clear evidence of the country’s deepening international isolation.
“When a politician of this level arrives in the region and Georgia is not even mentioned, this is a direct geopolitical catastrophe and the end for our country. It shows that Georgia is losing its historical and regional function,” Gegelia said.
He argued that the visit demonstrates that Georgia is no longer viewed as a key regional actor by either the United States or the European Union.
“This is proof that no one is interested in Georgia anymore—neither the EU nor the United States, despite the Georgian Dream regime’s claims of ideological closeness with Washington,” he stated.
Gegelia accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of pushing the country into a geopolitical dead end.
“This regime has isolated itself completely. The path it has chosen leads only toward Russia, not toward the international community, peace, or security,” he said, warning that Georgia risks losing its long-standing role as a major regional transit corridor.
“For three decades, Georgia was proud of its strategic transit function. That role is now under threat. Georgia may no longer be an important state in the region, and the busy transit corridor we relied on may cease to exist,” Gegelia added.
He also dismissed claims by the government that relations with the new US administration had stabilized.
“This is direct proof that no normalization has taken place with the Trump administration, and could not take place. Trump is not interested in gray regimes with damaged international reputations and nothing meaningful to offer,” Gegelia said, noting that both January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2026 have passed without any improvement in US–Georgia relations.
At the same time, Gegelia welcomed news that Georgia will be discussed at a hearing of the Helsinki Commission, saying this confirms that Georgia remains on the radar of the US political establishment.
“This is important and positive. We expect a critical and objective discussion of the grave problems in Georgia—violations of the rule of law and human rights, the erosion of democracy, and the seizure of the state,” he said.
Gegelia claimed that such discussions further undermine the legitimacy of the current government.
“This is the same regime that promised everything would change after January 20, 2025. A year has passed, then another January 20, and nothing has changed. The regime remains illegitimate and unrecognized,” Gegelia concluded.
Image: IPN
