Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili held a productive meeting with the U.S. State Department Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations and the Geneva International Discussions, Philip Reeker, where the two discussed the importance of the United States-Georgia strategic partnership and the “positive dynamic” that exists in the bilateral relationship.
The two officials spoke about the ongoing joint efforts by the United States and Georgia toward peacebuilding in the South Caucasus. Prime Minister Garibashvili noted that “negotiations are the only… way to resolve any conflict and move forward”. The Georgian government administration said the officials expressed their “full readiness” to further strengthen cooperation to resolve longstanding tensions in the region.
Reeker also highlighted Georgia’s positive role in the mediation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The U.S. official said Georgia is “critically important” for regional peace, stability, and interconnectivity and said the Prime Minister played an “indispensable role in ensuring the release of detainees and sharing the location of landmines in combat zones.”
The meeting represents a continuation of cooperation between the Prime Minister and the senior U.S. official on building a more stable and peaceful South Caucasus region. Past efforts had resulted in a deal being brokered which led to Azerbaijan’s release of 15 Armenian prisoners of war in exchange for receiving from Armenia a map of landmines in the Agdam district of the region.