MOSCOW, June 11./TASS/. Moscow is grateful to Tbilisi for assistance in the repatriation of Russian nationals amid the pandemic, and urges the Georgian side to use a positive experience of cooperation for the development of bilateral relations, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday.
"I seize the occasion to thank the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the section of Georgian interests in Moscow, as well as the Swiss Embassy in Tbilisi that efficiently ensured coordination of numerous humanitarian problems emerging during the evacuation of Russian nationals," she said.
"It is important that we have managed to establish humanitarian cooperation despite a difficult political situation between Russia and Georgia," Zakharova stressed. "We are confident that this is the example of how we must act when misfortune comes to all, it would be great if we didn’t wait for a next one, but used this experience in full on a daily basis. We expect that this experience will be in demand after the coronavirus pandemic ends," the diplomat emphasized.
The Russian diplomat also thanked the Georgian side for the return of Russian seamen from Nigeria on a repatriation flight, as well as for assistance in the repatriation of Russian nationals from Georgia.
"I also want to mention that we, for our part, were also helping Georgian nationals," she said, citing the situation when Russia assisted in the return of Georgian nationals from Brazil.
"These are remarkable examples, and I think that we must use them as a basis, and then, possibly, we will be able to solve many problems," the diplomat stressed.
Due to the pandemic, Russia was scaling down international flights from February 1, while on March 27 all flights abroad were stopped with the exception of repatriation, cargo and post flights.
Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Russia on September 2, 2008 after Russia had recognized Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s independence. This done, Georgia’s foreign ministry said it would preserve consular relations with Russia and in March 2009 opened a section of Russian interests with Russian diplomatic and technical personnel at the Swiss embassy in Tbilisi. A similar section, representing Georgia’s interests and employing Georgian personnel, was opened at Switzerland’s embassy in Moscow.
Apart from that, regular contacts have been maintained between Georgian prime minister’s special envoy for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and Russia’s former Deputy Foreign Minister and now senator Grigory Karasian.