Deputy FM responds to Sergey Lavrov’s statement on Georgia participating in peace platform

By Khatia Bzhalava

Thursday, January 28

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili.

Khvtisiashvili remarked on Georgia’s support for those long-term purposes, which are aimed at guaranteeing the security and prosperity of Georgia and the whole region.

“Georgia will not be able to engage in the peace platform, where the country occupying Georgian territories is participating as well,” announced Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Khvtisiashvili as a response to the statement made by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov.

Lavrov has made a statement, welcoming aspirations of Iran, Turkey, Georgia, and several European countries to take part in recovering the economy of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Lavrov, initiations are already being heard that Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, with the participation of Russia, Iran, and Turkey, are trying to establish relations in the region, taking into account the new reality.

Georgian Deputy FM Minister responded to Lavrov’s statement, noting that as long as relevant steps are not taken in terms of de-occupation, such an initiative would not be promising. Khvtisiashvili stated his position that any platform for cooperation should be based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the participating countries, therefore, “Georgia will not be involved in the peace platform together with the country occupying its territories.”

According to Khvtisiashvili, the ministry attaches great importance to the peace and stability in the region, which he believes to be one of the major preconditions for sustainable development in the South Caucasian countries. He remarked that Georgia supports those long-term purposes, which are aimed at assuring the security and prosperity of Georgia and the whole region.

“In this regard, peace platforms are crucial, and establishing such platforms in our region, first of all, should be achieved through dialogues and cooperation between the three states of the South Caucasus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which is a prerequisite for the development of important regional projects and cooperation, ” deputy FM stated. Khvtisiashvili also noted that Georgia came up with such an initiative when the armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia started to escalate.