TBILISI, Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said his country is continuing its policy to peacefully restore its territorial integrity.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of an ambassadors meeting in the capital Tbilisi, Kobakhidze said resolving the issue of restoring Georgia's territorial integrity is a main priority for them, and that they continue their policy of resolving the issue through peaceful means.

Kobakhidze further said that Georgian diplomats are working intensively to defend the country's interests in this regard in the international arena.

In 2008, a five-day conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgia ultimately lost control of both areas, and Russia later recognized them as independent states, leading to Tbilisi cutting off diplomatic relations with Moscow. Both regions remain internationally recognized Georgian territories.

Commenting on the deteriorating situation in Georgian-US relations, Kobakhidze also said improving relations with Washington is one of the priority issues in the country's foreign policy, regarding which the premier expressed Tbilisi's readiness to improve bilateral ties.

He went on to note the importance of implementing joint projects with neighboring countries, particularly defining the Middle Corridor as an "important mechanism for regional integration."

"Implementing strategic projects together with neighboring countries will promote peace in the South Caucasus, and we are pleased that we are already connected with our neighboring countries by very important strategic projects, which are also extremely important for promoting peace," he added.

The Middle Corridor, also called the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is a network of railways and roads that start in Türkiye and covers Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia, and reaches China, making it an important effort to revive the ancient Silk Road.

*Writing by Burc Eruygur in Istanbul