Russia has expressed readiness to discuss the restoration of diplomatic relations with Georgia, although there is currently no such item on the agenda. Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova emphasized that any initiative on this matter must come from the Georgian side itself. According to her, the lack of diplomatic ties between the two countries is a legacy of the Mikhail Saakashvili administration.
Moscow continues to insist that Georgia must sign non-use-of-force agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Zakharova is convinced that the Georgian side must accept the new realities in the South Caucasus and proceed to the development of relevant documents. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, such legal guarantees are necessary to prevent a recurrence of the events of August 2008.
This statement is another signal that Moscow continues to link the normalization of relations with the recognition of the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. For Georgia, this is a highly sensitive topic, as signing such agreements would effectively mean abandoning ambitions to restore its territorial integrity.
Interestingly, Russia is leaving the initiative to the discretion of Tbilisi while maintaining its rigid stance on security guarantees. This suggests that the process is unlikely to move forward in the near future, given the deep divide that exists between the parties.
