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Georgian opposition MPs summon top diplomat over his meeting with Russia's Lavrov

A meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and Georgia took place on September 26 for the first time since 2008
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani AP Photo/Cliff Owen
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani
© AP Photo/Cliff Owen

TBILISI, September 27. /TASS/. Georgian opposition lawmakers from the United National Movement have summoned the country’s Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani over his meeting with Russian top diplomat Sergey Lavrov, head of the Movement’s parliamentary faction Roman Gotsiridze told the Imedi TV company.

"Our faction has summoned him to a committee hearing. It [the meeting with Lavrov — TASS] took place behind the backs of the people. Before holding such a meeting, he should have held consultations with all political forces, the public and parliament," Gotsiridze said.

Zalkaliani claimed earlier that he had never had any issues with lawmakers and he would most likely visit parliament for a traditional question and answer session in October.

A meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and Georgia took place on Thursday for the first time since 2008, when Tbilisi had severed diplomatic ties with Moscow in the wake of Russia’s recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Since 2012, the two countries have been maintaining dialogue only through meetings between Special Representative of the Georgian Prime Minister for Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.

Karasin recently stepped down and was succeeded by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.