Moscow Sees No Basis for Resuming Political Dialogue with Tbilisi, Says Foreign Ministry

Moscow has expressed its willingness to normalize relations with Tbilisi; however, it currently sees no basis for resuming political dialogue. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, as reported by the local bureau of APA, the main disagreement relates to Georgia's stance on the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia.

Despite this, Russia is prepared to take steps towards normalizing relations with Georgia. 'The ball is in Georgia's court, and we believe Tbilisi should be more interested in this issue than anyone else,' the ministry stated.

In response to this announcement, Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, stated that Russia must withdraw its troops from the occupied territories and recognize Georgia's territorial integrity if it wishes to establish normal diplomatic relations. He emphasized that Georgia's interest lies in ending the occupation and restoring territorial integrity. 'Russia is obstructing this process. It is Russia that is the occupier of Georgian territories. Russia must withdraw its troops and recognize our territorial integrity. This is our response, and Russia has known this for a long time,' Samkharadze said.