Georgia-Russia: To meet or not to meet

There are a lot of tension and many unsolved problems between Georgia and Russia and the leaders of the two countries need to start communicating in an attempt to find solutions to the problems.

This idea appears to be shared by both sides. However it is doubtful the countries want similar outcomes.

Georgia’s first diplomat said the country’s top priority was de-occupation of the two breakaway territories, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast), but Russia remained interested in these regions.

This ongoing issue has kept this tense situation stagnant for a long time.

On February 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was not opposed to meet with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and questioned whether the Georgian leader would want this. 

In response, Margvelashvili said he would "thoroughly analyse” Putin’s statement. Margvelashvili added that he attentively reviewed all remarks from Moscow in this manner. 

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is also ready to begin direct dialogue with the Russian Government.

"I confirm that as the head of the Georgian Government I am ready for direct dialogue. What type of dialogue this will be or where it will be held, I cannot tell you right now,” Garibashvili said, adding the two countries had unsolved problems.

However, Garibahsvili believed that this kind of meeting needed to be "planned very seriously especially after this long pause”.

"It has to be understandable for everyone and first of all, for people. If negotiations on this issue start, this will need to be prepared on a very serious level,” the Georgian PM said.

He claimed the Georgian Government’s approach to this issue had immense support among the international society. He said he felt this support during his European trip from NATO and EU leaders, as well as from American Congressmen with whom he met in Europe. 

"They called us once again to be more active in our constructive dialogue and of course, this includes direct dialogue as well,” Garibashvili said.

Nowadays, Georgia and Russia have no diplomatic ties. Switzerland has been acting as a mediator between Georgia and Russia since the countries cut off diplomatic relations following the brief war in August 2008.

In 2012, Georgia’s then-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili introduced the new post of Special Representative for Relations with Russia, and appointed Georgia’s former Ambassador to Moscow Zurab Abashidze to this role. Since then, Abashidze has continued to negotiate on behalf of the country concerning Georgia-Russia issues with Russia’s deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.

"The Abashidze-Karasin format is good but it cannot solve the main problem between the two countries,” Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said today.

She once again stressed Georgia wanted its breakaway regions de-occupied.

Meanwhile in Russia on Wednesday, Karasin commented on the issue and promised at the next meeting with Abashidze, which is planned for the beginning of March, a possible meeting between the two countries leaders would be discussed.

Abashidze, on the other hand, said if this kind of meeting was to be held, it would need "very serious preparation”.

"This should not be a meeting for the sake of meeting,” he said.

"It should be followed by serious results.”

Since 2013, a couple of changes have been implemented in an attempt to rebuild Georgian-Russian relations. Last summer, Georgian wine returned to Russian market after a politicized seven-year embargo.

Moreover, a number of Russian visas issued to Georgian citizens increased by 40 percent in 2013, according to Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister.

Karasin said Russia would continue to try to make travel easier and more accessible between Georgia and Russia for the countries’ people.

"Over the past year, through joint efforts, we managed to improve cultural, sporting and religious connections. We [both countries] started bilateral business negotiations, which was blocked by former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s hostile attitude,” Karasin said.

Administrative border of Tskhinvali region; Photo from menasborders.com

Meanwhile in Georgia, the opposition believed if the leaders of the two countries met, only issues surrounding Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region needed to be discussed.

Despite both sides talking about a possible meeting, it is still undecided what kind of dialogue it will be or where the meeting will be held, if at all.