Expert Chitadze: as Georgia deepens ties with Iran and China, they continue to prioritise Russia's interests

Georgian political analyst Nika Chitadze says China and Iran continue to place greater weight on Russia's interests than Georgia's, after both countries abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution backing the rights of internally displaced persons and refugees from Georgia's occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution during its 2026 session with the support of 107 countries, while China and Iran were among the states that abstained from the vote.

Speaking to Front News, Chitadze argued that the abstentions highlighted the limits of Georgia's efforts to strengthen relations with both countries.

"It should be noted that when Georgia deepens cooperation with Iran and China, they continue to take Russia's interests and position into greater account than Georgia's," he said.

Chitadze welcomed the adoption of the resolution and the broad international support it received, noting that a majority of UN member states once again backed Georgia on the issue of displaced persons from the occupied territories.

However, he also stressed that the resolution does not carry legally binding force.

"The resolution is certainly welcome, as is the fact that a large number of countries supported it. Unfortunately, the reality is that General Assembly resolutions are recommendatory rather than mandatory in nature and therefore create moral rather than legal obligations for states," he said.

The resolution, titled "Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia", reaffirms the rights of those displaced by the conflicts in the two regions and calls for their safe, dignified and voluntary return.

In addition to China and Iran, countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Israel abstained from the vote. Eight countries voted against the resolution: Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea and Burundi.