Georgia’s Leader Seeks Global Stage Amid Fierce Domestic Opposition

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili has arrived in New York to participate in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, a visit laden with high stakes for both his government and his political standing. His agenda includes a speech from the UN rostrum, a meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres, and attendance at an official reception hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump for world leaders.

According to Tamar Taliashvili, Georgia’s ambassador to the U.S., the visit is of great importance, with the central themes being “peace, international order, and stability.” The delegation, which also includes Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili, is poised to engage in a series of high-level meetings and panel discussions throughout the week-long trip, which concludes on September 26.

The ruling “Georgian Dream” party has preemptively praised the tour, suggesting Kavelashvili will use the platform to present the world with the “truth” about Georgia’s internal processes and reaffirm Tbilisi’s readiness to reset relations with Washington. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili predicted the president would draw on Georgia’s history to underscore the value of peace and the tragedies of war.

However, the visit is deeply polarizing back home, where a significant portion of the opposition does not recognize Kavelashvili’s legitimacy. He is the first Georgian president to be chosen not by a popular vote, but by a special commission of parliamentary deputies and municipal representatives. The opposition, having boycotted the parliamentary elections, was excluded from the process but lacked the votes to influence the outcome regardless, as the commission was dominated by the ruling party.

Criticism from opponents has been scathing. “For the first time, a person with no education, no ability to speak, who knows no foreign languages, and has fundamental difficulties even reading from a teleprompter in his native language because he is illiterate, will step onto the UN General Assembly podium,” stated Tamaz Datunashvili, a representative of the opposition “Lelo” party. “Therefore, a very difficult day lies ahead for Georgia.”

Prior to his presidency, Kavelashvili was known as a hardline critic of the government’s opponents and had accused the European Union of blackmailing Georgia and imposing foreign values. Upon taking office, he wrote a letter to President Trump expressing regret over what he perceived as a lack of attention from Washington, which went unanswered. Subsequently, U.S. authorities froze the “Friendship Act,” a bill designed to expand sanction capabilities against Georgia.

Over his nine months in office, Kavelashvili’s international travel has been limited to neighboring Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey, along with a trip to the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis. This has fueled opposition claims that he faces a legitimacy crisis not just domestically but also on the world stage. Thus, his UN appearance, and particularly the invitation to President Trump’s reception, is widely seen as a significant opportunity to bolster his status. This marks an improvement from 2024, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze represented Georgia but was not invited to the U.S. presidential reception.

Analysts are divided on the visit’s true impact. Political analyst David Kartvelishvili views it as a clear sign of recognition. “The invitation to Kavelashvili in New York is not the first act of recognizing his legitimacy. For instance, Trump previously congratulated him on Georgia’s Independence Day. Gradually, relations between Georgia and the U.S. are normalizing,” he stated, dismissing former president Salome Zourabichvili as a fading figure.

Conversely, Victor Kipiani, head of the Geocase analytical center, offers a more skeptical assessment. “Kavelashvili’s participation in the UN General Assembly in itself does not signal a breakthrough of a diplomatic blockade. In essence, this is a ritual visit whose format does not presuppose the establishment of bilateral relations with anyone,” Kipiani argued. He noted the apparent lack of scheduled meetings with other heads of state, underscoring the visit’s protocol-heavy nature and suggesting that the ruling party has yet to establish the desired rapport with the Trump administration.