Georgia sent a note expressing readiness for dialog to Russia on Tuesday via mediator Switzerland, in accordance with the recommendation of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said.
Relations between Russia and Georgia have been sour since a five-day war between the two former Soviet countries in August 2008, which began when Georgian forces attacked the breakaway republic of South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control.
Russia recognized South Ossetia and another former Georgian republic, Abkhazia, as independent states two weeks after the conflict. Georgia considers the two regions part of its sovereign territory.
"Georgia tried to hold a dialogue with Russia through diplomatic channels from before the war in August 2008 (...) but this initiative was not successful," Georgia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nino Kalandadze said.
The note was given based on the fact that the court considered it would be expedient to conduct a dialogue, she said. "If the dialogue does not bring results, the Georgian side reserves the right to re-apply to the court," Kalandadze added.
Tbilisi took a case against Russia to the International Court of the UN in August 2008 over alleged discrimination by Russia against the Georgian population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but the court ruled in April 2011 that the case was outside its competence.
