TBILISI. Aug 16 (Interfax) - The majority leader in Georgia's parliament called for direct talks between Georgia and Russia, which have been maintaining mutual contacts via the Swiss Embassies in Tbilisi and Moscow after severing their diplomatic relations in 2008.
"Georgia and Russia have such a large shared history and have had such close cultural, scientific, economic and political historical ties that there is no need for contacts via buffer states such as Switzerland," David Saganelidze told reporters on Thursday.
"We will do everything under our control to have an opportunity to talk to Russia directly about our problems, primarily those relating to the restoration of our territorial integrity," he said.
Georgia severed its diplomatic relations with Russia after the August 2008 war between the two countries.