The key facts
- Giorgi Zurabishvili, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, has been appointed the prime minister's special envoy for relations with Russia
- Irakli Kobakhidze named peaceful conflict resolution, trade and economic ties, and humanitarian dialogue as priorities
- Earlier, politician Mamuka Pipia warned of the risk of Georgian companies losing up to 70% of their revenues
New appointment in the Georgian government
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced at a briefing the appointment of Giorgi Zurabishvili as the prime minister's special envoy for relations with Russia. Zurabishvili previously served as Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia. The news was reported by RIA Novosti.
Tbilisi's priorities
Kobakhidze emphasized that the country's key priorities are the peaceful resolution of the conflict, the preservation and development of trade and economic relations, as well as constant humanitarian dialogue.
Context: statements about the Russian market
On October 11, the leader of the Solidarity for Peace party, Mamuka Pipia, stated that Georgian companies risk losing up to 70% of their revenues if they do not change their anti-Russian policy. According to him, Georgia's main market is the Russian one, and restricting access to it will lead to job losses and hit ordinary citizens and the country's budget.
