Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed Russia's interest in normalizing relations between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia, indicating readiness to support this process.
During a recent briefing in Moscow, Zakharova emphasized that Moscow hopes to see positive changes in Georgia's stance reflected in future negotiations, aiming for tangible outcomes.
"Moscow is interested in the normalization of relations between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia and hopes that positive changes in Tbilisi's position will be reflected in future negotiations and will yield concrete results," Zakharova stated.
She highlighted Russia's commitment to supporting this normalization: "Russia, as a participant in the international negotiations in Geneva and the closest neighbor of Abkhazia, Georgia, and South Ossetia, is very interested in the normalization of relations between these states. Moscow is ready to fully support this issue in both multilateral and bilateral formats."
However, she acknowledged the challenges: "It is still impossible to talk about these issues, progress in this direction, considering the remaining fundamental differences in the approaches of the parties and the geopolitical reality developed in the region."
Despite these challenges, Zakharova noted a potential opening: "Recent statements from Georgia that they intend to apologize to the people of South Ossetia for the war started by the Saakashvili regime in August 2008 give some hope."
