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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Friday that ending the Russia-Ukraine war is essential for the stability of both Georgia and Europe, praising Türkiye's mediation role as "very valuable" in an extremely complex situation.
He also described Ankara as home to "exceptional leadership" and expressed pride in the two countries' strategic partnership.
Kobakhidze told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) that Georgia had been negatively affected by the Russia-Ukraine war but had resisted being pulled in.
"There was a very clear desire to involve us in this war as well, but as a result we managed to prevent a war from breaking out in the country," he said.
He stressed that ending the conflict was vital.
"The end of this war is very important for the stability of both Georgia and Europe. We hope this happens as soon as possible," he said.
Kobakhidze also praised Türkiye's mediation efforts without reservation.
"Türkiye's role in this extremely complex situation was very valuable. We greatly appreciate the positive role Türkiye has played in efforts to resolve this conflict," he said.
He went further in assessing Türkiye's broader leadership quality.
"There is exceptional leadership in Türkiye, but if we evaluate the general picture now, unfortunately this is not the case in every geography and every region," he said, describing Türkiye and Georgia's partnership as something he was "proud and happy" about.
Kobakhidze described Georgia's historical identity as a bridge between Europe and Asia and said he wanted to develop the country's connectivity role as much as possible.
He noted that the South Caucasus region also faced uncertainty and global challenges, while simultaneously presenting important development opportunities.
On the international system, Kobakhidze called for a return to rule-based multilateralism.
"If we do not re-establish the rule-based international order, diplomacy will in no way be able to take precedence over political interests in terms of international order," he said.
He noted that Georgia had survived because of diplomacy: "Many empires around us came and went, but Georgia remained permanent. Because through diplomacy we were able to protect ourselves and our national interests."
He added that all countries should focus on preserving peace, ensuring stability and strengthening economic ties, which he said could prevent "negative political interests from taking the upper hand."
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