On January 9, Salome Zourabichvili, the fifth President of Georgia, stated during a briefing that she continues to fulfill presidential functions from her new office.

"I would like to welcome you to the new office; it may not look like Orbeliani Palace, but there is a spirit here, and here, the functions of the president continue in this country, which is in a very deep crisis today," Zourabichvili said.

She also announced her plans to attend the US presidential inauguration on January 20.

Notably, the presidency in Georgia is under dispute. Following the presidential elections in December 2024, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a candidate from the ruling "Georgian Dream" party, was elected president. He secured 224 out of 300 votes in the electoral college, surpassing the required minimum of 200 votes.

Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former professional footballer who played for Tbilisi’s Dinamo and Vladikavkaz’s Spartak-Alania, transitioned into politics after his sports career. In 2016, he became a member of parliament representing the "Georgian Dream" party.

His inauguration took place on December 29, 2024, marking his official assumption of presidential duties.

However, the outgoing president, Salome Zourabichvili, has contested the election results, labeling them illegitimate. She has refused to vacate her position even after the official end of her term.

As a result, Georgia currently faces a political standoff where Mikheil Kavelashvili is officially recognized as president by domestic institutes, while Salome Zourabichvili disputes the legitimacy of his election and declines to acknowledge his presidency. As for now, the EU and US have not recognized Kavelashvili as the legitimate president, while regional countries, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, congratulated Kavelashvili on election as Georgia’s President.