Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili Visits Washington
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, January 20, 2025
On January 17, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili arrived in Washington, D.C., for a visit centered around the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. Zourabichvili met with key U.S. figures, including Marco Rubio, nominee for Secretary of State, Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of Defense, and Scott Mastic, Vice President of the International Republican Institute (IRI). Notably, no representatives from the Georgian Dream (GD) government are expected to attend the inauguration.
During her visit, Zourabichvili met with IRI's leadership to discuss Georgia's political challenges and the country's future political landscape. Zourabichvili emphasized the need for reforms and called for demands that are acceptable to Georgian society, new political forces, parties, and non-governmental organizations. She expressed IRI's support in helping Georgia organize fair elections, underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues immediately.
In a statement regarding her message to Washington, Zourabichvili said, "The existing regime in Georgia cannot be a legitimate representative of the Georgian people. It is no longer just about elections. It is about a regime that has departed from the constitution and no longer bears any sign of democracy or statehood."
Zourabichvili is also scheduled to participate in a January 21 discussion at the Atlantic Council, focusing on Georgia's political challenges and Russia's growing influence in the region.
In addition to her meetings with political figures, Zourabichvili attended a pre-inauguration reception hosted by Donald J. Trump Jr., where she met briefly with Trump Jr. and the nominees for Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense.
U.S. Congressman and Chair of the Helsinki Commission, Joe Wilson, praised the meetings, writing on X, "I was grateful to introduce President Zourabichvili to Donald J. Trump Jr., two amazing people working to do so much good in the world."
Wilson also posted about Zourabichvili's meetings with Rubio and Hegseth, emphasizing the importance of the U.S.-Georgia relationship in combating the "tyrannical Ivanishvili regime" and bringing back "Peace through Strength."
