Iranian Foreign Minister Visits Tbilisi

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is paying an official visit to Tbilisi on January 28, where he met with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and held a phone call with Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani.

At the meeting, President Zurabishvili informed FM Zarif of the grave situation in Russian-occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, The Georgian President’s press service reported.

The Georgian President further highlighted the importance of stability in the region, including in Georgia and discussed with the top Iranian diplomat  “new, significant possibilities” in the region’s economic domain.

On its part, the Foreign Ministry of Iran said FM Zarif addressed at the meeting problems Iranian nationals residing in Georgia, as well as truck drivers, face in the country, calling on the Government to resolve the issues.

Besides, the Iranian Foreign Ministry highlighted that the aftermath of the recent clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region presents an opportunity for expanding regional cooperation “to the benefit of all parties.”

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili also received the top Iranian diplomat. As reported by the Georgian Government’s press service, the parties spoke of bilateral trade and economic relations and strengthening transit and transport communication ties.

Regarding regional affairs, the sides discussed Georgia’s role in ensuring both economic development and regional stability, the press release added.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said FM Zarif called on PM Gakharia to address “a series of problems in the bilateral trade ties and the restrictions on the banking, transit and transportation activities.”

“Foreign Minister Zarif then expressed gratitude to the government of Georgia for releasing a number of the Iranian inmates in the past couple of months who will serve sentence at home, urging Tbilisi to work on the cases of the other prisoners,” the Iranian Ministry added.

FM Zarif also held a phone call with Georgian top diplomat David Zalkaliani, who was unable to physically meet his counterpart for his recent COVID-19 diagnosis and self-isolation.

The Foreign Minister of Iran, who began on January 25 tour of the region,  has already met senior officials in Baku, Moscow and Yerevan. FM Zarif will depart from Georgia to Turkey on January 29.

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