Georgian leadership is ready for a meeting with Russian counterparts, but such a meeting requires serious preparation, PM Irakli Garibashvili said.

“If you ask me about readiness, as the head of the Georgian government, I confirm having such readiness to have a direct dialogue; stance within the team [the Georgian government] is to have such a dialogue with the Russian leadership. Format of the meeting or when and where such a meeting may take place – I would refrain from speaking about such details right now. But I want to note that we also have such readiness,” PM Garibashvili said in an interview with Imedi TV, aired on February 11.

He made this comment when asked about Vladimir Putin’s February 10 remarks on his readiness to meet Georgian President.

“We should definitely sort out relations with Russia,” PM Garibashvili said. 

“Of course we have a huge unresolved problem,” he said without specifying, but apparently referring to Georgia’s breakaway regions. 

“Such a meeting – on such a level and after such a long pause – requires a very serious preparation and planning,” the Prime Minister said. 

He said that Georgia’s Western partners welcome Georgia’s “constructive steps” towards Russia and call on Tbilisi to “intensify our constructive dialogue” with Moscow.