Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Russia is prepared to further strengthen pragmatic relations with Georgia, according to an interview with TASS.

“We are open to further expanding pragmatic ties with Tbilisi. Obviously, the key to Georgia’s successful development lies not in confrontation but in cooperation with our country,” the diplomat said, Georgia Online reports.

“As for bilateral political contacts, they are currently non-existent. The reason is that the Georgian side is not ready for such a dialogue. Of course, it is difficult for me to judge how this helps Georgia overcome its various problems, but this is a decision made by its authorities.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry official also said that “given the close intertwining of our historical destinies and geography, Russia and Georgia are natural partners for each other”.

“This is also evidenced by the fact that even unprecedented external pressure on Tbilisi and demands that it abandon cooperation with our country have failed to produce the effect that the West had hoped for.”

According to Galuzin, relations between Russia and Georgia are based on centuries-old historical and cultural ties and a shared spiritual foundation.

“Despite our well-known political differences, we seek to build mutually respectful relations with Georgia. Indeed, there has been significant progress in trade cooperation and tourism in recent years. One in every four tourists in Georgia comes from Russia, while our large market is the main destination for Georgia’s major export goods.

“We welcome this because we see it as our task to create conditions for expanding humanitarian and business ties - in other words, ties that are important to the citizens of our countries.”