Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sparked political turmoil in Georgia after appearing at the same international event as Russian President Vladimir Putin, a rare occurrence amid Russia’s ongoing occupation of Georgian territory.
On Dec. 11-12, Turkmenistan hosted the Peace and Trust Forum in Ashgabat, marking the 30th anniversary of the country’s self-declared neutrality.
The gathering brought together the leaders of a number of states, including the presidents of Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iraq, and the prime ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Pakistan.
The Georgian leader was pictured close to Putin in a group “family photo” at the event after taking his third trip to Turkmenistan this year.
Although the Georgian government insists no meeting with the Russian delegation took place, the mere presence of Kobakhidze and Putin at the same venue has intensified criticism at home.
President Zourabichvili: “Georgia’s pro-Russian leadership befriends autocrats”
The fifth president of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, one of the sharpest critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party, posted the photos of Kobakhidze and Putin, writing:
“Georgia’s pro-Russian leadership befriends autocrats while criticizing our EU and U.S. partners.”
In separate remarks, Zourabichvili described the images as “uncommentable and shameless,” suggesting that the government’s participation in such formats reflects a broader strategic drift away from the West.
A step toward “betrayal”
Georgian opposition leaders also voiced their concerns.
Tazo Datunashvili, a leader of the Lelo–Strong Georgia party, labeled Kobakhidze’s attendance “a step toward Georgia’s betrayal.”
According to Datunashvili, sharing an international platform with Putin “damages Georgia’s sovereignty” and risks paving the way for a political rapprochement between Tbilisi and Moscow.
Turkmenistan: a controlled setting for authoritarian diplomacy
The event’s host, Turkmenistan, remains one of the world’s most closed states. The country is formally led by President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, son of former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who ruled the country single-handedly from 2006 to 2022 and still wields significant influence as the head of the Halk Maslahaty, the country’s top representative body.
The forum offered Moscow another rare platform to appear alongside regional leaders amid Western isolation, while also highlighting shifting geopolitical alignments across Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
Georgian Dream has increased its outreach to Central Asian states amid its stalled EU integration process and corresponding rift with European partners.