Republican Senator Steve Daines Meets with Georgian Dream and Opposition Representatives in Tbilisi
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with U.S. Senator Steve Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
During the meeting, Kobakhidze reaffirmed the Georgian government’s readiness to reset relations with the United States and renew the strategic partnership.
On May 30, the U.S. Embassy in Georgia issued a statement announcing that Senator Steve Daines was visiting the country. The statement noted that the senator would meet with representatives of both the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition. According to the embassy, the senator intended to highlight the key priorities of President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zurabishvili, stated during a briefing with opposition parties that are part of the “Resistance Platform” that she met with Senator Daine. Zurabishvili emphasised the importance of the meeting, during which they discussed the country’s political situation, violations of the law, and broader strategic challenges.
“Today, on behalf of the Resistance Platform, I met with Senator Steve Daines, a Republican from the United States who is currently visiting the Caucasus. He has already been to Baku and Tbilisi and is en route to Yerevan. It was very important that he listened to the internal issues we raised—including numerous legal violations—as well as the strategic challenges facing both Georgia and the United States in this region, which require greater attention from the American side,” Zurabishvili stated.
Coalition for Change Leader Nika Melia Arrested Ahead of Court Hearing
On the evening of May 29, Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, was arrested near Lake Lisi while en route to participate in a podcast. According to the coalition, the arrest was unexpected and took place under questionable circumstances.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that Melia was administratively detained for “verbally insulting a law enforcement officer.”
The following day, Melia appeared at Tbilisi City Court for a hearing, which quickly descended into chaos. While addressing the judge, Melia recounted what he described as a “kidnapping” on May 29 and demanded that the court take an interest in the circumstances of his arrest. The session was abruptly adjourned after Melia poured water at the judge in protest.
“People don’t care if I was kidnapped or not—they look at me with glassy eyes. You are an accomplice, part of the criminal chain, and you don’t even ask who kidnapped me,” Melia said in the courtroom. Following the incident, he was escorted out of the chamber, and the judge declared a recess.
The judge had posed several questions to Melia, focusing primarily on whether he intended to pay the bail previously imposed as a preventive measure. The bail stemmed from Melia’s failure to appear before the parliamentary investigative commission on former Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani.
The Prosecutor’s Office had earlier accused Melia of defying the so-called investigative commission established by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Another member of the Coalition for ChangeZurab “Girchi” Japaridze, and former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili, have also been arrested for failing to pay bail about the same case.
Former Head of Ivanishvili’s Co-Investment Fund, Giorgi Bachiashvili, Arrested
On May 27, the Georgian State Security Service announced the arrest of Giorgi Bachiashvili, the former head of the Co-Investment Fund founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili.
According to official reports, the arrest followed an anonymous tip received on May 26, 2025. The tip alleged that Bachiashvili—described as a dual citizen of Georgia and the Russian Federation—had been seen near the so-called “green border” section between Tsiteli Khidi and Sadakhlo.
Authorities claim that Bachiashvili had secretly fled Georgia and that his whereabouts were unknown until the tip-off.
However, during a court hearing on May 29, Bachiashvili delivered a shocking statement about the circumstances of his return. “On Saturday, May 24, I was kidnapped abroad, blindfolded, and held in that state for two days,” he testified. “I was denied any contact with my lawyer, the prosecutor, or my family. Then I was loaded onto an Airzena aircraft and flown to Georgia without any legal explanation, in clear violation of all applicable laws.”
His international legal team has since expressed serious concern, warning that Bachiashvili may be at risk of torture.
The case against Bachiashvili stems from a criminal complaint filed in 2023 by Bidzina Ivanishvili himself. Prosecutors accuse him of embezzling $39,215,820 in cryptocurrency while leading the Ivanishvili-backed Co-Investment Fund. On July 6, 2023, the Tbilisi City Court imposed a bail condition of 2.5 million GEL as a preventive measure.
In early March 2025, it was publicly revealed that Bachiashvili had left the country and gone to the UAE. He was declared a wanted individual shortly afterwards.
Bachiashvili and his legal representatives strongly deny the charges and insist the case is politically motivated.
Irakli Kobakhidze Addresses Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze delivered a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary, an event attended by far-right politicians and political figures from across the globe.
In his address, Kobakhidze emphasised what he described as a distinction between “the true West” and the so-called “Deep State,” framing Georgia as part of a more traditionalist vision of Western values.
“We are not arguing with the West, because we are part of the West—true West, the West of freedom, faith, and family values, not the Deep State that tries to make the world feel like nothing and considers itself the ruler of everything,” Kobakhidze said. “Our West is still alive—alive in countries like Hungary, and in the hearts of millions across Europe and beyond—all those who are tired of being told that loving one’s homeland is a crime. We are a European nation, but the European bureaucracy must respect our right to sovereignty and democracy. Being pro-European does not mean being anti-Georgian.”
He further asserted that, “Our commitment to European integration is firm, but we will not give up our dignity and sovereignty. Double standards are unacceptable to us, nor will we trade our identity for political favours.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán praised Kobakhidze during the event, calling him “a hero of Georgia, an international patriot, a man who won the elections. He went against liberal movements, defeated everyone, and is the greatest economic growth driver in the country.”
In recent years, the Georgian Dream party has increasingly adopted Eurosceptic rhetoric, while simultaneously asserting a commitment to European integration. Critics argue that the party has stalled progress toward EU accession, failed to meet its obligations to the European Union, and has embraced anti-Western narratives. The ruling party has also been widely criticised for its growing authoritarianism, including the targeting of journalists and opposition figures.