Formal diplomatic relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom can be traced back to at least 1919, during the First Georgian Republic. After the defeat of German Empire, Georgia's ally, in WWI, parts of Georgia came under British administration and British troops were also stationed in Tiflis to stave off the Bolshevik invasion. This lasted until 1920, when Britain left due to a variety of geopolitical factors.
In the present day, Georgia-UK relations remain very cordial and the two countries cooperate closely in a manner similar to the Georgian-American relations. "Georgia is a strategic partner to the UK" and since 2019, relations between the two countries are streamlined by the "UK-Georgia Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement", which largely replaced the EU-Georgia Association Agreement following Brexit. Both countries maintain embassies in the respective capitals.
In 2014, UK and Georgia inaugurated Wardrop strategic dialogue, a format of annual meetings to promote their biletial co-operation in security, defense policy, economy and trade.
History
Britain recognized the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1919. Sir Oliver Wardrop served as the United Kingdom's first Chief Commissioner for Transcaucasia in Georgia from 1919–21. He was welcomed by the government of Noe Zhordania, who supported Wardrop's efforts to promote Georgian culture and gather support from western nations. During this period, Britain came to view Georgia in a rather favorable light, setting it apart from Bolshevik Russia, as well as some of its neighbors:
British military presence in Georgia had to come to an end in 1920 because of neutrality clauses in the Treaty of Moscow, in which Russia recognized Georgia's independence in exchange for Georgia not hosting forces hostile to Russia's interests. Now that there were no Western powers in Georgia, in February 1921 the Bolshevik Red Army proceeded to invade the country, leading to Georgia's defeat and collapse by March of that year. Even after Soviet takeover, Britain - along with France, Belgium, and Poland - continued to recognize only the Georgian government; this lasted until the 1930s, when growing Soviet power and political processes in Europe made it impractical to do so indefinitely.
In April 1987, Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister, made an official state visit to the Soviet Union, on the last day of which she visited the Georgian SSR, specifically Tbilisi. It was the first visit of its kind to Georgia. She was hosted by First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party Jumber Patiashvili. She was met with crowds in the capital, with Thatcher greeting onlookers with the word "gamarojobat". She also attended a wedding at the Palace of Rituals, where she gave the bride and the groom a porcelain bowl. In the evening, she attended a dinner hosted by Chairman of the Council of Ministers Otar Cherkezia and other regional officials, during which she noted the similarity in cultures, notably the shared patronage of Saint George.
Following the restoration of Georgian independence in 1991, official diplomatic relations between Georgia and the UK were re-established in 1992, and a full UK embassy opened in Tbilisi three years later. In response to the Russo-Georgian War, the British government showed solidarity with Georgia, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office releasing a statement calling for calm and Foreign Secretary David Miliband saying the following: "Russia has extended the fighting today well beyond South Ossetia, attacking the Georgian port of Poti, and the town of Gori, while Abkhaz forces have been shelling Georgian positions in the Upper Kodori valley. I deplore this." On 10 August 2008, pro-Georgian protesters protested in front of the Russian embassy in London. On 21-25 May 2006, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli visited the United Kingdom. In November 2015, former Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Georgia, being hosted by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who accompanied him to sights such as Mtatsminda Hill.