Abstract:
The present paper extends the analysis of the U.S. public diplomacy instruments
in Georgia in the 1980s. The paper analyzes these instruments as a case of partnership
between the U.S. government and non-government actors. There are relatively few historical
studies in the area of public diplomacy examining the U.S. public diplomacy instruments
toward Georgia at that time. This paper, based on the primary and secondary
sources, is the fi rst systematic study to explore the subject. In the fi rst part of the paper the
author discusses the offi cial agreements and programs on exchanges between the United
States and the Soviet Union, which made exchange programs possible to be implemented
in Georgia. The second part of the paper provides information about the citizen exchange
program between the peoples from Tbilisi, Georgia, and Atlanta, Georgia. The author reports
that these exchanges helped Georgians to get the fi rst-hand understanding about the
U.S., its culture and society. This paper highlights that these exchanges created a system
of social, cultural, economic and political understanding between these two societies. The
author summarizes that this exchange experience provided Georgians with new opportunities
to counter the mistrust and fear that the Soviet propaganda had created among
Georgian society. In general, article concludes that these exchanges helped Georgians to
build bridges of future cooperation between the U.S. and Georgia
