Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze posed for a photo with several politicians, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a forum in Turkmenistan dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust. The Georgian opposition interpreted the presence of representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party at the event alongside Putin as a decision to reconsider the country's foreign policy.

"The Georgian Dream regime is a regime of war, violence, and chaos, because there was no need for representatives of the Georgian state—if Kobakhidze, a representative of the Georgian Dream regime, can even be called that—to participate in this forum. This is a forum where Putin very openly and publicly declared that participating countries must be politically and internationally neutral.

"The regime that declared war on its own citizens, the Georgian people, and the entire world is effectively recognizing the political message Putin delivered at this forum," said Khatia Dekanoidze, a member of the opposition United National Movement party.

Kobakhidze traveled to Turkmenistan on December 11, along with Levan Zhorzholiani, Head of the Georgian Government Administration, and Maka Bochorishvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The International Forum for the Year of Peace and Trust, marking the 30th anniversary of the country's neutrality, is taking place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on December 11-12. Officials from Turkmenistan, Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Georgia, and Pakistan are participating in the event.