WarSclerotic

Georgia is contemplating relocating its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

In a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely in the country, Sunday, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced she would begin bilateral talks with Israel over the possible transfer of the country’s Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

Hotovely, one of the Israeli officials to attend Zurabishvili’s swearing-in ceremony as prime minister, noted the “deep and long friendship” between the two countries before saying Jerusalem wanted to see Georgia move its embassy to Israel’s capital of Jerusalem.

The two agreed Georgia’s new government would begin to discuss the subject when Georgia’s prime-minister elect takes office in another six months.

Hotovely also met with Georgia’s Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani at the event.

Australia’s announcement over the weekend that it was formally recognizing west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but would not be moving its embassy to any part of the city for now came as a disappointment to many Israelis.

On Saturday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country would not move its embassy to Jerusalem until there is a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Morrison said Australia would recognize east Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital only after a settlement has been reached on a two-state solution.