Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Moscow is “open to further expanding pragmatic ties” with Tbilisi, reiterating Moscow’s repeated calls for intensified engagement while stressing presently “absent” political contacts with Georgia. “We are open to further expanding pragmatic ties with Tbilisi,” Galuzin told Russian state news agency TASS, according to the interview published on August 11. “It is obvious that the key to Georgia’s successful development lies not in confrontation, but in cooperation with our country.” Galuzin also described Russia and Georgia as “natural partners for one another,” citing what he called “the close intertwining” of the two countries’ “historical destinies and geography.” The remarks come amid repeated statements from Russian officials expressing readiness for closer, “pragmatic” ties with Tbilisi, while praising what they saw as Tbilisi’s pragmatic moves in that direction.