There are “signals” indicating that Russia wants to start talks with Georgia, but it is impossible under the current condition when Moscow continues occupying 20% of the country’s territory, Grigol Vashadze, the Georgian foreign minister, said on October 16.

“Signals are coming that they [Russian authorities] want to start talking with us; but they want to do that just for one reason – in order to then run to Brussels or Washington to say: ‘we are already direct talks with them [Georgians], it is not a problem any more, forget about it’,” Vashadze told Rustavi 2 TV’s political talk show, Position.

He said Russia’s tactic was imposing, what Moscow calls, “new reality” that emerged after the August war and “starting talks with rest of 80% of Georgia from empty page.”

“No matter who comes into power in Georgia, no one will start talks with Russia unless de-occupation of our territories,” Vashadze said.

“Let them start direct talks with Moscow now, who have a treason on their mind,” he said. “I will immediately resign if someone does that.”