On 2 May 2023, within the framework of his visit to the State of Israel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, met with representatives of the Georgian diaspora.

Within the framework of the meeting, Ilia Darchiashvili introduced the state diaspora strategy and emphasized the priority importance of working on diaspora issues. He also spoke about the initiatives and innovations the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has implemented to ensure  effective communication with the diaspora.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also spoke about the important role of the Georgian diaspora in preserving national and cultural identity abroad, promoting Georgia and building up a positive image of the country.

Ili Darchiashvili thanked the diaspora representatives for their participation in the meeting and expressed readiness for further intensive communication with them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Georgia condemns the meeting of the President of the Republic of Belarus with the representatives of the occupation regime.
This action blatantly violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and represents an attempt to legitimize the Russian occupation regime.
We call on Belarus to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and to cease taking the actions, which contradict the fundamental principles and norms of international law.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan condemns the armed attack on the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Islamic Republic of Iran on January 27, 2023, as a result of which there are dead and wounded among the staff of the diplomatic mission.

Turkmenistan declares the inadmissibility of attacks on diplomatic missions and the use of any violence against the personnel of diplomatic departments.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan expresses deep condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased, and also wishes a speedy recovery to the injured employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran.

On January 27, 2023, an official ceremony was held at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan dedicated to the announcement of 2023 as the “International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace”. The event was held in a hybrid format under the conduction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The event was attended by representatives of the main bodies of the UN and its specialized agencies and UN member states, international and regional organizations as well as teachers and students of the higher educational institutions of Turkmenistan.

In their speeches, distinguished diplomats thanked the Government of Turkmenistan for its consistent work to promote a culture of peace throughout the world, noting that this International Year has a solid cornerstone: Dialogue for Peace, based on our common belief that true peace cannot be preserved or restored without a constructive exchange of views in good faith and that such open and sincere interactions can indeed promote mutual understanding between peoples.

2023 was declared the "International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace" in accordance with resolution 77/32 of the United Nations General Assembly by the initiative of Turkmenistan. This initiative is directly linked to the "New Peace Agenda" of the UN Secretary General for building peace, which is consonant with the initiative of Turkmenistan to promote the philosophy of "Dialogue as a guarantee of peace".

Before the draft resolution "International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace, 2023" was presented, Turkmenistan held extensive consultations with UN member countries, took into account constructive opinions and proposals. The resolution was co-sponsored by 68 member countries of the Organization.

As an official document of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, under agenda item 14 "Culture of Peace", the final document was adopted, which reflects the fundamental goals and principles of the UN Charter, including obligations to resolve disputes by peaceful means and methods..

The Global Initiative “Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace” promoted by Turkmenistan is aimed at consolidating the efforts of the international community in strengthening the traditions of peaceful and trusting coexistence of the peoples of the world, restoring values and worldviews, defining a culture of peace and trust as an integral factor in international relations.

Steadily implementing the policy of peacefulness, good-neighborliness and constructive international cooperation, Turkmenistan consistently expands the geography of interested international partnership and takes an active part in the development of balanced solutions to urgent problems of mankind.

Our national development is becoming a model development at the international level in the coordination of the domestic and foreign policies of the President, which are based on the principle of permanent neutrality.

At the end of the ceremony, the participants expressed their sincere gratitude to the Leader of the Nation and the President for pursuing a policy of peace and friendship in international relations and wished them good health and longevity, success in their noble work, for the sake of a happy life for the people, and prosperity for the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia strictly condemns the recent visit of Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Russian State Duma, to Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region, as yet another violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law by Moscow, the continued infringement on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the sovereign state, and further disregard for international obligations, including for the EU-mediated 2008 ceasefire agreement.

The 56th round of the Geneva International Discussions was held on 5 October 2022. The Georgian delegation was led by the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lasha Darsalia. The round was conducted as a result of the active involvement and efforts of the Co-Chairs from the EU, UN and OSCE as well as of the USA.
The round was focused on the core agenda items of the Geneva International Discussions related to the necessity of full implementation of the provisions of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement. Georgian delegation also made an emphasis on one of the main issues of the agenda – the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes.
The Geneva International Discussions were launched on the basis of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement. The discussions are held within the frames of two Working Groups, where participants are represented in their individual capacity. In the first Working Group talks are focused on security and stability in the occupied territories of Georgia, while in second Working Group – on humanitarian and human rights situation in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, as well as on the issues related to safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees to the places of their origin. The discussions are held with Co-Chairmanship of the EU, UN and OSCE, and participation of Georgia, the Russian Federation and the USA. The Head of the Provisional Administration of the former South Ossetian Autonomous District and the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, as well as the representatives of the Sokhumi and Tskhinvali occupation regimes also attend the Working Groups.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expresses its deep concern regarding Aleksandr Lukashenko’s travel to the Russian occupied Abkhazia region and the meeting held with the representatives of the Russian occupation regime in Sokhumi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemns the violation of the Georgian state border by Aleksandr Lukashenko with his so-called visit in the occupied Abkhazia region, which blatantly infringes the fundamental principles and norms of international law.
We call on the Belarusian side to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the sovereign state within its internationally recognized borders and not to take the actions, which contradict the fundamental principles of international law.

MFA of Georgia

Today, the 7th of August 2022, marks the 14th year after the full-fledged military intervention of the Russian Federation against Georgia in 2008. It entailed illegal occupation of the inseparable regions of Georgia - Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and their recognition as so-called independent states by Russia.
After 14 years of the occupation, Russia does not fulfill the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, and expands its illegal control in the occupied regions, continues the process of their militarization, actively undertakes steps towards their de-facto annexation. With building barbed wires and other artificial barriers along the occupation line, illegal detentions and kidnappings, gross violations of human rights and ethnic discrimination of Georgians it is undermining the security, human rights and humanitarian situation on the ground and is trying to isolate the people living in the occupied territories from the rest of Georgia and the international community. 
Violation of fundamental human rights in Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, ethnic discrimination and the violation of the right of hundreds of thousands of IDPs and refugees to return to their homes in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia continues to be a heavy humanitarian burden of Russia’s illegal occupation. The impunity encouraged in the cases of deprivation of lives of Davit Basharuli, Giga Otkhozoria, and Archil Tatunashvili increases the risk of further violence on ethnic grounds.
Against this background, unrestricted access of international human rights bodies and the establishment of international security mechanisms on the ground, as well as access of the EU Monitoring Mission to Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, which is hampered by the occupation force, is becoming even more critical.
Against this challenging backdrop, the Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights from 21 January 2021 on the 2008 Russia-Georgia war was a pivotal event. It legally confirmed the fact of occupation and effective control over Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia by the Russian Federation. Therefore, Russia was held accountable for the blatant violations of human rights and basic freedoms on the ground. This decision, which is the first legal assessment of the 2008 Russia-Georgia War, reveals the futility of Russia’s longstanding effort to avoid legal responsibility for the illegal occupation of Georgian regions and its consequences.
Georgia unequivocally continues implementation of the policy of peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict and is determined to use the diplomatic and legal instruments and continue close cooperation with its international partners to ensure unification and peaceful development of the country, facilitate confidence building between the communities divided by the occupation line and creation of a common European future.
Georgia is grateful for the unwavering support of the international community to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and highly appreciates the contribution of international partners in the process of peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict. This support is particularly crucial today when with its military aggression against Ukraine the Russian Federation continues ignoring the fundamental principles and norms of international law and undermines the entire European security.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the Russian Federation to cease illegal and provocative steps against Georgia, to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, to fulfill the obligations under the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, to withdraw its forces from the territory of Georgia and to reverse the illegal decision on recognition of the so-called independence of the occupied regions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeals to the international community to continue consolidated efforts for achieving peaceful conflict settlement and de-occupation of Georgian territories, the return of IDPs and refugees to their homes, and ensuring peace and security in Georgia and the region as a whole.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends its condolences to the families and relatives of the soldiers and civilians who died heroically in the 2008 war.

On July 4, 2022, in the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, a meeting was held between the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and the Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Zhang Xiangchen, who arrived in Ashgabat on a working visit.

During the meeting, it was noted that in recent years, relations between Turkmenistan and the WTO have noticeably intensified. As is known, in February of this year, during a meeting of the WTO General Council, the Turkmen side officially applied for accession to the WTO, in accordance with Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement. Based on the results of consideration, the member countries of the WTO General Council unanimously approved the application of Turkmenistan and decided to grant it the status of an "acceding country". The Head of the Foreign Ministry expressed his sincere gratitude to the WTO Secretariat, as well as to the member countries for supporting the application of Turkmenistan.

It was also noted that the growing trends of economic globalization in the modern world, especially after the pandemic situation, set the task for Turkmenistan to more intensively integrate into the system of international trade and economic relations. One of the effective ways to achieve these goals is to build up comprehensive cooperation with the WTO.

R. Meredov informed the Deputy Director General of the Organization about the preparatory work being carried out in the country for joining the WTO, which includes improving the national legislative framework, foreign trade procedures and rules, as well as explanatory work among the population and business circles through the media.

Press-service of the MFA of Turkmenistan