Russian Foreign Ministry: Meeting of Russian and Georgian official representatives to be held in early March

The next meeting of Russian and Georgian official representatives for the normalization of relations will be held in early March, State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

"We are discussing this prospect with Zurab Abashidze (special representative of the Georgian Prime Minister on the normalization of relations with the Russian Federation). Most likely, the meeting will take place in early March," Karasin said.

The first meeting of the official representatives of Russia and Georgia within the settlement of bilateral relations was held in Geneva on Dec.14, 2012. The parties agreed that such meetings will take place every two to three months. Today, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said that the next meeting between his special representative Zurab Abashidze and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Grigory Karasin will be held on March 1.

Large scale military action was launched in South Ossetia in Georgia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military. Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia late in August. Tbilisi ended diplomatic relations with Moscow in response and has declared the two unrecognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories.