FM Zalkaliani comments on the meeting with Lavrov
David Zalkaliani said that at the meeting he directly told Sergey Lavrov that “it is necessary to make steps for de-escalation of the situation and de-occupation” of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). Photo: Georgian Foreign Ministry pres soffice
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that the recent meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov should not be considered as the change of existing format of negotiations with Russia.
In an interview with Imedi TV, FM Zalkaliani said that he has received a promise from the Russian official that both the Geneva International Discussions as well as the Prague economic talks will continue, despite the Deputy FM Grigory Karasin’s resignation.
He said that at the meeting he directly told Lavrov that “it is necessary to make steps for de-escalation of the situation and de-occupation” of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Without their political will it will be impossible to achieve the progress, because it is the power exercising effective control on those territories”, he said referring to Russia.
Zalkaliani also noted that he spoke with Lavrov of all the steps that Georgia has made as part of its peace policy and underscored that it is important that Russia should also make constructive counter steps.
Foreign Minister Zalkaliani met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today.
The meeting, which is the first since Georgia suspended its diplomatic ties with Russia following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008, was "initiated and facilitated" by Switzerland.
Officials and politicians in Georgia have assessed the recent meeting of the Georgian and Russian Foreign Ministers in New York, which is the first since Georgia suspended its diplomatic ties with Russia following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today. The meeting, which is the first since Georgia suspended its diplomatic ties with Russia following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008, was "initiated and facilitated" by Switzerland.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the general debate of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier today. In her speech she said Georgia is “a small country, on the edge of Europe”, it is “one of the democratic countries of the world” and its main challenge and priority is peace.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has pushed forward the issue of the two Russian-occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali and the current situation at the occupation line at his meetings with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that yesterday’s meeting between Georgian and Russian foreign ministers was welcomed and accepted by Georgia’s international partners.
EU, OSCE and the UN top officials have welcomed the recent meeting between Georgian and Russian Foreign Ministers David Zalkaliani and Sergey Lavrov which was the first high-level meeting of top officials from the two countries after the suspension of diplomatic ties back in 2008, due to the Russia-Georgia war.
The US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus has tweeted that the US government welcomes the recent meeting between Georgian and Russian foreign ministers, held in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with the mediation of Switzerland.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has told Georgian MPs that his meeting with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov at the end of September in New York was needed, important and came at the right time.