Georgia reiterated the need to de-occupy Abkhazia and South Ossetia to normalize relations with Moscow
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili stated that restoring relations with Russia is only possible after Moscow recognizes Georgia's territorial integrity, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Papuashvili emphasized that Russia has long been aware of this position.
The day before, Mikhail Kalugin, Director of the Fourth Department of the CIS Countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed Moscow's readiness to normalize relations with Georgia, but warned Tbilisi against becoming a "bargaining chip" in anti-Russian games. He emphasized Russia's desire for stability in relations with Georgia and welcomed displays of "healthy pragmatism" and multi-vector thinking in its foreign policy.
"Thanks to this, we have achieved considerable economic achievements over the past few years. We don't have diplomatic relations, but we have active ties that bring tangible benefits," the ministry representative added.
Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze noted that “given the occupation of two historical regions of Georgia, peace is not only a political choice, but also an existential priority.”
