Georgia’s economic envoy to Russia : gov’t officials not present at meeting of experts in Moscow

Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative in Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze says that none of Georgian officials attended a meeting of Georgian and Russian experts in Moscow yesterday, stating that it was a private initiative.

Abashidze, who has been involved in talks with Russia only on trade and economic issues since 2013, says that Tbilisi’s participation in the event amid the Russia-Ukraine war would be ‘unjustified.’

“This was a private initiative which was implemented by one of Georgian non-governmental organizations. State structures did not participate in this initiative in any way. So, it is better to ask questions about the occasion to the NGO,” Abashidze said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that a Georgian-Russian expert meeting was held in Moscow on March 24 and 40 experts and political scientists from both sides took part in it, along with the members of the Georgian diaspora in Russia.

The event was organized by the Gorchakov Foundation and the Primakov Georgian-Russian Community Center.

Russia and Georgia have not had diplomatic relations since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, while economic ties were restored back in 2013.