Russian Security Council Secretary and Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised the Georgian Dream government for preventing “a coup d’état initiated by the pro-Western Georgian opposition” and called for the resumption of the 3+3 regional cooperation platform, which Georgia has so far refused to join, in his Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meeting remarks cited by Russian media.
“The Georgian authorities in 2024 practically prevented a coup d’état initiated by the pro-Western Georgian opposition and began pursuing a policy of protecting the country’s national interests,” Shoigu said at the 14th annual meeting of secretaries of security councils of the CIS member states on November 9, as quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.
“We welcome the active development of trade and economic cooperation between Georgia and Russia. At the same time, I would like to emphasize that regional problems should be resolved through political and diplomatic means, without interference from outside countries,” he added.
He said that the situation in the South Caucasus was showing signs of improvement, pointing to the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization process and what he described as the “de facto establishment of peace in the region.” Shoigu further stressed the importance of unblocking transport links, while arguing that all logistics projects should be economically justified and profitable.
Shoigu also suggested resuming the “work of the consultative regional platform 3+3,” launched in 2021 to bring together the three South Caucasus countries, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and their three neighboring regional powers, Russia, Turkey and Iran. Georgia has consistently declined to participate in the format, citing its position towards Russia. Despite Georgia’s absence, Russian officials have repeatedly called on Tbilisi to join the initiative.
The remarks match the narratives advanced by the Georgian ruling party and government officials, who have repeatedly framed anti-government protests, including those that erupted in November 2024, as revolutionary plots and coup attempts.
Shoigu’s remarks also follow a series of statements by senior Russian officials expressing Moscow’s readiness to deepen economic and trade ties with Tbilisi, while praising what they describe as the Georgian Dream government’s pragmatic approach towards Russia and its resistance to Western pressure.
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