Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with the Belarusian Ambassador to Georgia, Nikolai Rogashchuk, the government administration reported on October 13.
According to a press release from the administration, “the introductory meeting focused on the existing relations between Georgia and Belarus, as well as the positive dynamics and future prospects of cooperation in various fields, including trade, economy, and agriculture.”
The ambassador also delivered a congratulatory letter from Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on the “successful completion” of Georgia’s municipal elections, the press release said.
In the letter published on October 9, Lukashenko congratulated Kobakhidze on what he called the “confident victory” of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the October 4 local elections. The vote took place amid a partial opposition boycott, limited credible observation, ongoing protests, and a repressive political environment, as Georgian Dream secured wins in all 64 municipalities, according to official results. Voter turnout stood at 40.93%, lower than in the previous local elections.
“The Prime Minister of Georgia thanked the ambassador for Belarus’s support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, congratulated him on the start of his diplomatic mission in Georgia, and wished him success in his work,” the press release further said.
The meeting between Kobakhidze and the Belarusian diplomat followed a September meeting between Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and her Belarusian counterpart, Maxim Ryzhenkov, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
During the meeting between Botchorishvili and Ryzhenkov, the two discussed “priority issues for the two countries,” and “regional processes and challenges,” while emphasizing “the importance of ensuring peace and stability for sustainable development,” according to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.
The meeting comes amid longstanding concerns about security cooperation between Georgian and Belarusian officials. In 2016, Tbilisi and Minsk signed a controversial agreement providing for the exchange of state security information and cooperation on issues such as crimes against the constitutional order, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as transnational organized crime, terrorism, and the illicit circulation of weapons. The agreement entered into force in 2021.
In 2022, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko visited the resort town of Bichvinta in occupied Abkhazia, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation from the Georgian public, political leaders, opposition parties, Belarusian opposition figures, and the international community.
In December 2024, the violent suppression of pro-EU protests by Georgian authorities sparked speculation that they may have sought guidance on crackdown tactics from their Belarusian counterparts.
