TBILISI, DFWatch — Georgia’s Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili says his brief encounter with his Russian counterpart was not more than a handshake and an introduction.

But Ivanishvili says he had a feeling that Dimitry Medvedev is interested in mending relations between the two countries.

The much publicized 2-minute chat happened as the leaders were sitting down for a dinner during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

For over four years, there had been no direct contact between the leaders of the two belligerent countries in the 2008 August war.

“I stretched out a hand, he stretched out his hand. I told him it was a pleasure to meet; he did too. This was all. It should be followed up,” Ivanishvili told journalists in Davos.

The Georgian billionaire, who surprisingly won an October, 2012 parliamentary election on a promise to repair relations with Russia, said more meetings are ahead.

“Personally I have great hope in this, but I don’t have any additional connections with Russia. But I do good analyses. I think the reason for our success is that I can do a good analysis and determine the position of the competition as well,” he said, adding that in this regard it is in the interest of Russia as well to put relations in order, because the current situation is not beneficial to either side.