“Under the conditions of occupation, it is impossible to talk about the restoration or normalization of relations,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili in response to the statement made by Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin regarding the restoration of diplomatic relations.
“Everyone knows well what the problem is between Georgia and Russia – the occupation of our territories, and this is precisely the number one obstacle to normalizing relations with Russia,” pointed out the minister.
She continued, “It is interesting how the opposition uses such statements in Georgia.”
“Here is a second issue: how such remarks are being exploited in Georgia, and this is being done to give them life, so that opposition forces, in the absence of an agenda, may create new topics and comment on them.
Once again, the problem is straightforward. Georgia has two Russia-occupied regions, and it is unthinkable for us to talk about restoring diplomatic relations under these conditions,” Botchorishvili stated.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Mikhail Galuzin, stated that Moscow is open to restoring diplomatic relations with Georgia, asserting that “there are no restrictions on our part” and that the initiative depends on Tbilisi’s readiness. He emphasized the strong trade ties—citing wine, fruit, energy resources, and grain—as well as what he described as shared history, religion, and cultural connections.
In response, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili made clear that the main obstacle remains unresolved. “The only obstacle to restoring relations between Georgia and Russia is Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories,” he said. Papuashvili claimed that the issue could be resolved easily if Russia takes concrete steps toward de-occupation, after which the normalization of relations would be possible.
