“We welcome the shift in rhetoric as a positive development, but it must be followed by concrete actions, such as initiating a dialogue regarding the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories,” stated Levan Machavariani, a member of the parliamentary majority, in response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s comments that “Russia is ready to assist Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia in normalizing relations if these parties themselves are interested.”

“When we talk about reconciliation, we mean reconciliation with our Ossetian and Abkhaz brothers. The statements from a so-called administration that lacks the trust of its own people hold little value for us.

After winning cases at The Hague and Strasbourg that removed threats to our brave soldiers from accusations of war crimes or human rights violations, we took concrete and courageous steps.

The initial messages of reconciliation, respect, and forgiveness came from our side, but they were met with resistance. While it is true that these territories are currently occupied by Russia, their return without Russia’s involvement seems unlikely. We will observe how the situation unfolds. The shift in rhetoric is a positive sign, but it needs to translate into tangible actions, including the commencement of talks on the withdrawal of troops from the occupied regions,” Machavariani added.