On February 21, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenka received Aslan Bzhania, the de-facto leader of Georgia’s occupied territory of Abkhazia. In the video footage released by the press office of the Belarusian president, Lukashenka is seen in his office talking to Bzhania.

According to Lukashenka, "for some reason, Georgians, the leadership of Georgia react sharply" to his meetings with Bzhania. "Cannot there be normal, warm, friendly relations between people, between peoples... These relations may promote peace and friendship between the Abkhazian and Georgian peoples. With you, we have never planned any action against Tbilisi," – Lukashenka told Bzhania. At the meeting, Lukashenka called Abkhazia a “wonderful country.”

In this context, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus mentioned the situation related to the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, which "does not look decent." According to Lukashenka, they neither interfered in the situation nor did they make assessments and maintain good relations with Tbilisi “as far as possible.”

Despite its close alliance with Russian President Putin, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus has not officially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia (another occupied territory of Georgia), which Moscow declared as "independent republics" in August 2008.

The visit follows their previous meeting, which took place in September 2022, when Lukashenka met with Bzhania in Bichvinta.

President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili's responded to the meeting. "I strongly condemn the "official meeting" of Alexander Lukashenka with the so-called "president" of occupied Abkhazia in Minsk," Zurabishvili wrote. Georgia's president also recalled Lukashenka's arrival in Abkhazia in September 2022.

"After Lukashenka's visit to Sukhumi, which was a violation of the law on the occupied territories of Georgia, this is another clear violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Georgian president said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia likewise responded with a harsh statement to the meeting held in Minsk between the authoritarian President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenka, and the de-facto President of Abkhazia, occupied by Russia, Aslan Bzhania. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on Belarus to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders.