Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Amy Diaz on Wednesday in what was their first meeting since Diaz took up the post in July.

The meeting took place at the government administration, with the government press office saying the two discussed Georgia–US relations.

‘At the meeting, the Prime Minister once again confirmed the readiness of the Georgian government to restore the strategic partnership with the US from a clean sheet, which will be based on a specific guide focused on mutual national interests’, the Georgian government said.

Diaz became US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Georgia in July 2026. She has worked at the US Department of State since 2002 and has previously served in diplomatic positions including at US Embassy in Tbilisi.

The previous US ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, announced her retirement in June 2025 and left Georgia in July that year. She had served as ambassador since 2023.

Her retirement announcement came amid strained US–Georgia relations, several months after President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

The meeting comes amid a now yearslong decline in US–Georgia relations. Washington suspended the US–Georgia Strategic Partnership mechanism in November 2024, after Georgian Dream announced it would suspend Georgia’s EU accession process until 2028.

The US State Department said at the time that Georgian Dream’s actions had violated the core principles of the strategic partnership, and condemned what it called the excessive use of force against protesters.

The US had already taken several measures against the Georgian government in 2024, including suspending more than $95 million in assistance to the government and imposing visa restrictions on individuals accused of undermining democracy.

In December 2024, the US Treasury sanctioned Georgian Dream founder and honorary chair Bidzina Ivanishvili under an executive order targeting Russia-related activities.

Georgian Dream leaders had repeatedly said that Trump’s return to the White House would lead to a change in US policy towards Georgia. However, the sanctions imposed by Washington were not lifted.

Representatives of Georgian Dream have also held meetings in the United States in recent months, while US State Department representatives have travelled to Georgia.

The Georgian government has repeatedly said it wants to restore the strategic partnership with Washington, while the US has not announced a restoration of the suspended partnership.