**Trump Letter to Georgian President Sparks Debate in Tbilisi**
A letter supposedly written by US President Donald Trump to the President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, has been released by a Republican Party member, Kimberly Lowe. The letter is dated May 26 and was published on the evening of May 27, just hours after the Georgian government issued a press release about it in the local language.
The letter is addressed to President Kavelashvili and congratulates him and the people of Georgia on their Independence Day, which fell on May 26. Trump’s administration claims that they have strengthened ties with the Georgian government and are committed to developing economic cooperation through fair trade and bilateral support.
However, there is controversy surrounding the authenticity of the letter. The US Embassy in Georgia has not confirmed its validity, and some have raised questions about Lowe’s intentions for releasing the letter. Lowe is a Republican Party member who was once set to run in the 2024 US Senate elections but did not appear on the primary ballot.
The Georgian Dream (GD) government, led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, has seized upon the letter as evidence of their growing ties with Trump’s administration. In contrast, the opposition has downplayed its significance, suggesting that it is just routine congratulations from the US President to mark the Independence Day celebrations.
**GD Seeks to Reset Relations with the US**
Kobakhidze used the letter to emphasize his government’s narrative about a struggle between Trump and the “deep state” within the US administration. He claimed that this struggle will determine the future of US-Georgia relations, suggesting that if Trump wins, it could lead to a reset in their ties.
In contrast, Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, had written a letter on behalf of the US government, extending greetings to the “people of Georgia” rather than addressing it specifically to President Kavelashvili. This difference has been highlighted by Kobakhidze as evidence of the two opposing forces at play within the US administration.
**Opposition Views**
The opposition in Georgia has dismissed GD’s claims about a positive shift in relations with the US, suggesting that their excitement over routine calendar congratulations belies their inability to effectively lobby for national interests.
“This regime is making a hullabaloo over something as mundane as routine calendar congratulations. What resources could they possibly have when it comes to sorting out [relations with the US], let alone lobbying for national interests?” wrote Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of The Federalists on social media.
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