A few days after Girorgi Gakharia’s official appointment as Prime Minister of Georgia, the members of Gakharia’s cabinet began conducting a number of meetings clearly outlining the newly formed government’s priorities.
Gakharia’s first official meeting as the country’s Prime Minister was conducted on 10 September with Phillip Reeker, acting US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. Amongst the discussed topics were the strengthening of security and economic ties between the two countries, as well as the situation in the region and in the two Russian-occupied territories of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). “Reeker expressed deep concern regarding the situation in the occupied regions and urged Russia to withdraw its forces from the Georgian territory,” the press office stated.
A day after Gakharia’s meeting with Reeker, two cabinet ministers also met with US officials. Newly appointed Minister of Defence Irakli Gharibashvili met US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia, Laura K. Cooper. The parties discussed possibilities for strengthening military cooperation between Georgia and the USA, while also touching upon the desired development of Georgia’s territorial defence and Georgia’s and the United State’s contribution to international safety. They also talked about the renewal of the agreement formed between the US and Georgia about the cooperation in the field of defence and safety.
On 11 September, Tea Tsulukiani, Georgia’s Minister of Justice went to the USA and met with William Barr, the Attorney General of the United States. The parties signed an agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Tsulukiani thanked the US Justice Department for their support in the fight against family violence, human trafficking and corruption in Georgia and for the changes carried out in the Georgian Juvenile Justice Code and in the penitentiary system.
At his appointment to become the country's prime minister, Gakharia said that “security is the fundamental basis of Georgia’s development” and it could only be achieved through the country’s further European and Euro-Atlantic integration (Caucasus Watch reported).
Gakharia’s first foreign policy moves could be perceived as a departure from being a pro-Russia politician amongst the Georgian opposition. On 9 September, the English edition of Deutsche Welle published an article regarding Gakharia's appointment as Prime Minister, calling him a "Moscow man”. A few hours later, Deutsche Welle corrected the article, saying that Gakharia was called so by the opposition.
