Georgian PM disinvited from Biden UN reception as relations sour

TBILISI (Reuters) – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was disinvited from a reception for world leaders hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden during the United Nations General Assembly, Georgian media reported on Wednesday, in the latest blow to the once close U.S.-Georgian relationship.

Georgian officials told local media that Kobakhidze, who is due to address the UNGA on Thursday, had initially been invited to the reception, but his invitation was cancelled by the U.S. side. They reported that the U.S. refused all meetings with Kobakhidze’s delegation.

Georgia’s InterPressNews cited the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi as saying that the invitation had been rescinded over what it said was the Georgian government’s “anti-democratic actions, disinformation, and negative rhetoric towards the U.S. and the West.”

It quoted parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili as saying that the disinvitation was “frivolous”.

Broadly pro-Western and a major U.S. aid recipient since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, European Union candidate-member Georgia has in recent months seen its ties with Western powers sour over accusations of authoritarian and pro-Russian leanings.

The ruling Georgian Dream party, widely seen as controlled by billionaire ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, in June passed a law against “foreign agents” that was condemned by Western countries as inspired by Russian legislation used to crush Kremlin critics.

Georgian Dream is seeking a fourth term in office in an October parliamentary election, and Ivanishvili has repeatedly suggested that if re-elected the party will move to ban the pro-Western opposition United National Movement.

According to opinion polls, Georgian Dream remains the most popular party but it has lost ground since 2020, when it won almost 50% of the vote and a slim parliamentary majority.

In a post on Facebook, senior Georgian Dream MP Mamuka Mdinaradze accused Biden of seeking to provide an electoral “lifeline” to the Georgian opposition.

The fallout from the domestic turmoil has damaged Georgia’s relations with Western countries.

Earlier this month, the United States sanctioned two Georgian police commanders it said were involved in beatings meted out to leaders of major protests against the foreign agent law.

Last week, the European Union, which has previously said Georgia’s application process is de facto frozen, said it may suspend its visa-free regime for Georgians if the October election is not free, fair and peaceful.

(Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Hugh Lawson)