Georgia’s diplomatic freeze: No resumption of ties with Russia in near future

Georgia has confirmed that it will not restore diplomatic relations with Russia in 2025, according to a report from IMEMO RAN (Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences).

The document, as cited by Georgian media, states that Georgia's stance towards Russia will continue to be shaped by the unresolved issues surrounding the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, per Caliber.Az.

Official Tbilisi holds that these territorial disputes remain a central obstacle to re-establishing full diplomatic ties with Moscow, regardless of the political direction of Georgia's ruling party.

Furthermore, the report suggests that Georgia should not expect to make significant progress in its EU accession negotiations, as Europe remains dissatisfied with Tbilisi's stance on sanctions against Russia and the controversial foreign agents law passed in 2024.

Georgia has faced growing criticism from Western countries over its political moves. In 2024, the United States imposed visa restrictions on Georgian individuals deemed responsible for undermining the country’s democratic principles. The United Kingdom suspended all support programs and defense cooperation with the Georgian government. Additionally, in December 2024, Lithuania and Estonia imposed travel bans on senior Georgian officials, including Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Georgian Dream party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. Ukraine also imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

Georgia severed diplomatic ties with Russia on September 2, 2008, after Russia recognized the independence of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. While the formal diplomatic relationship was cut, Georgia maintained consular relations with Russia, with a section for Georgian interests being set up under the Swiss Embassy in Moscow.

Since 2012, direct dialogue between Moscow and Tbilisi has been limited to occasional meetings between Zurab Abashidze, the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia, and Grigory Karasin, the former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister. These discussions, held in Prague, have been the only ongoing channel for dialogue between the two nations.

By Tamilla Hasanova