Mr. Putin expressed his willingness to meet the new President of Georgia.

On February 10, at the Press Center in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with representatives of the Social Council involved in organizing the 22nd Winter Olympics.

During the conversation, Mr. Putin said he had no objections to meeting with Georgia's new leader Giorgi Margvelashvili and added that he was pleased with the presence of the Georgian team at this Olympics.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi 2014 (Source: AFP/Getty)

“This is a case where the Olympics contribute to building relations, even when it seems impossible or very difficult,” Putin was quoted by Russia 24 TV channel as saying.

For his part, President Margvelashvili said he would study President Putin’s statement carefully. The politician added that he would pay close attention to similar messages from the Russian leader, given that relations between the two countries “are one of the most difficult and problematic for the Georgian government.”

Mr Margvelashvili said he wanted to see “the tragedy of the past years disappear as soon as possible”.

Earlier, Russia and Georgia resumed flights between Sochi and Tbilisi.

The Russian president pledged that these flights would continue after the Olympics. Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili was officially inaugurated on November 17, 2013.

Relations between Russia and Georgia have been strained since a brief war in 2008, but have gradually improved since the Soviet republic had new leadership late last year./.

According to VNA