FM says gov’t committed to peaceful resolution of conflicts

“Georgia’s two regions remain occupied by Russia with its military presence and this is the situation, which continues for decades, especially after the 2008 war,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili at a panel discussion held within the framework of the international conference Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi, India.

According to the FM, Russia did not succeed in recognising occupied territories as independent states due to the Georgian government’s efforts to “mobilize” the international community.

Maka Botchorishvili stated that defending territorial integrity and sovereignty is crucial for the government, which is committed to peaceful resolution of conflicts.

“I have the honour to be here and speak about Georgia. On my way, I was thinking about how to start presenting Georgia – in terms of geopolitical, political, economic, or the success of economic reforms, or food and wine, which appear to be Georgia’s best soft power. The issue of security is one of the most important for Georgia. Yes, Georgia is a small country in the South Caucasus which has problems with its territorial integrity. Georgia’s two regions remain occupied by Russia with its military presence and this is the situation, which continued for decades, especially after the 2008 war, as a result of which Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. However, it failed in recognition policy due to the Georgian government’s efforts to mobilize the international community. Defence of international law and principles is paramount for everyone, including us.

Defending territorial integrity and sovereignty is crucial for the Georgian government. We should remember that these principles represent the basis for international order. We continue to use all international forms and mechanisms to speak about this issue and resolve the conflicts in the South Caucasus that jeopardize the security of the entire region.

At the same time, we reiterate that conflicts should be resolved only peacefully. We have the Geneva International Discussion format of negotiations represented by the European Union, United Nations, and the US alongside Georgia and Russia. This format provided the opportunity to speak about the conflicts and their resolution.

However, this is a lengthy process that depends on many factors. If you were to ask me today how to solve this issue, I would not have a definitive answer, but I am confident it will be resolved in the future. It must be resolved, as it is crucial not only for the South Caucasus and the entire region but also for European security. I cannot imagine Georgia outside the framework of the European Security Concept,” she stated.