Georgian Pro-Kremlin Party Figure Claims Talks with Moscow on Moving Geneva Discussions to Minsk

Mamuka Pipia, leader of the pro-Russian Georgian party Solidarity for Peace, which actively advocates for restoring diplomatic ties between Tbilisi and Moscow, met with Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, to discuss the possibility of moving the Geneva International Discussions to Minsk, RFE/RL’s Russian-language service Ekho Kavkaza reported on October 21. Moscow, however, dismissed the report as a “lie.”

According to Ekho Kavkaza, the exchange took place during Zakharova’s visit to the “Club of National Unity,” a pro-Kremlin venue that frequently hosts Russian propagandists. The outlet cited Pipia as saying that “Switzerland is no longer a neutral country” for Russia.

He said, “Moving the talks to Minsk is a good thing for us. The Russians don’t trust Switzerland and don’t consider it a neutral party. And the Belarusian president is our ally, in a good sense. Clearly, he’s acting in his own interests, but he still adheres to the idea of our territorial integrity,” adding that the ideal option would be to hold the meetings in Tbilisi, Tskhinvali, Sukhumi, and Moscow.

Ekho Kavkaza also quoted Pipia as saying, “We must move faster, because things are happening that may unfold without our participation, and we will lose all chances on Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”

The outlet further reported that Pipia claimed the issue was being discussed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was in an “internal struggle” over whether to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Pipia’s remarks come as Moscow, Sokhumi, and Tskhinvali have repeatedly voiced support for relocating the Geneva International Discussions from Switzerland to a “truly neutral” venue. Russia has been pushing the idea since 2022, arguing that Switzerland lost its neutrality after joining Western sanctions against Moscow.

The Geneva International Discussions, launched after the 2008 Russia–Georgia war, aim to address security and humanitarian issues in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, territories occupied by Russia. The format, co-chaired by the UN, OSCE, and EU, remains the only international platform where Georgia, Russia, and the de facto authorities of Sukhumi and Tskhinvali participate alongside Western partners. Despite periodic walkouts and stalled rounds, Western actors have repeatedly warned that changing the venue would undermine the fragile mechanism.

The Russian Foreign Ministry denied Ekho Kavkaza’s report as a “lie” and “fake,” insisting that “nothing of the sort happened.” Moscow, however, reaffirmed its long-standing position in favor of relocating the talks, citing Switzerland’s “anti-Russian course.”

The alleged talks on relocating the Geneva International Discussions from Switzerland to Belarus also come amid increasing diplomatic exchanges between Tbilisi and Minsk. In September, Georgian Dream’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili met her Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Earlier this month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Irakli Kobakhidze on Georgian Dream’s October 4 local election victory. On October 13, Kobakhidze also held an introductory meeting with the Belarusian Ambassador to Georgia, Nikolai Rogashchuk.

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• 28/06/2025 – 64th Round of Geneva International Discussions
• 14/07/2022 – Abkhaz Side Wants to Move Georgia Talks Out of Geneva
• 25/06/2022 – Moscow Wants to Move Georgia Talks out of Geneva