TBILISI, December 18. /TASS/. The Georgian authorities do not conduct secret negotiations with the Russian leadership, Georgian Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili said.

"As for our participation in the Belt and Road Forum, it is an initiative in which many EU countries are members, along with Georgia. Georgia has been physically participating in this forum since the day it was founded, and Russia has almost always participated as well. If someone wants to imagine that the Georgian authorities today are harming the interests of the country in any way and are conducting some kind of secret dialogue [with Russia], as has been falsely spread in society, I can say unequivocally and directly - this is not the case," Davitashvili said, speaking at parliament.

The Georgian opposition became interested in the forum after the media circulated footage of a gala dinner at the event attended by heads of delegations from many countries, including Davitashvili and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The deputy prime minister was summoned to parliament by the Eurooptimists opposition group.