Georgian ministry calls for dialogue between 3 South Caucasus countries

Georgia will not participate in the same peace platform with the country that occupied its territory, the Georgian bureau of Report informs, quoting Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili.

He has thereby commented on the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on a new regional initiative.

Khvtisiashvili noted that until appropriate steps are taken to end the occupation, such an initiative will have no prospects.

"We attach great importance to peace and stability, which are one of the basic conditions for sustainable development in the South Caucasus. Accordingly, Georgia supports long-term goals that will ensure security and progress in the country and the region. In this vein, peaceful platforms are important, and their creation in our region should be carried out primarily through dialogue and cooperation between the three countries of the South Caucasus - Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which creates the basis for the development of important regional projects and cooperation," he said.

Khvtisiashvili added that any platform for cooperation should be based on the principle of mutual respect, respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity among the participating states.