Georgian President Says Not Ready To Meet With Putin Yet

TBILISI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2020) Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said she was for a direct dialogue with Moscow and would be ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin if talks made sense, but added that today the situation was different.

"I am for a direct dialogue [with Russia] because the countries have two ways: one is the way of war, and the second is dialogue. I don't know any other way. If someone knows the third way, let them tell. Therefore I have always been and will be a supporter of dialogue, but dialogue for the sake of dialogue has never been a way out of the situation, appropriate circumstances are required," Zourabichvili said in an interview with the Rustavi 2 television channel.

Asked if she was ready to meet with Putin, if such an opportunity arose, the president said she should be sure the negotiations would bring results.

"A meeting for a meeting and dialogue for dialogue is not for me, there must be circumstances that make it possible [to meet with Putin]. If this is not the case, everything will remain the same. Perhaps, sometimes you can make a decisive step, but in this case you have to be sure it's worth it and will bring results. If I notice a suitable situation, I will go for it, but today it does not exist," Zourabichvili said.

There are no diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia, the dialogue between the countries has been maintained as part of the Geneva discussions held since 2012 in Prague. Relations between the two countries were broken by the Georgian side after Moscow recognized the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 26, 2008.