OREANDA-NEWS  The prospects for restoring diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia are currently unclear, despite the strengthening of economic ties between the two countries. This was told by Evgeniya Goryushina, a researcher at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

"Despite intensive humanitarian and economic ties, the prospects for restoring official diplomatic relations are extremely uncertain," she said.

According to the political scientist, there is a paradox in Russian-Georgian relations: the trade turnover between the countries continues to grow, Georgia is visited by a huge number of tourists from Russia, but this does not lead to normalization of official contacts. The expert called the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, regions that Moscow recognizes as independent states, and Tbilisi considers its temporarily occupied territory, the main obstacle to this.

Earlier, Evgenia Goryushina explained the impact of the conflict between Russia and Azerbaijan on Russian-Armenian relations. According to her, Moscow's contradictions with Baku do not lead to strengthening ties with Yerevan.