Opposition groups' core demand is the government bring parliamentary elections forward to April, threatening to continue protests, which saw around 50,000 supporters gather in front of government buildings and was the country's worst unrest since the 2003 "rose revolution" that swept Mikheil Saakashvili to power.
"We have our position regarding the date of the elections - they will be held in the fall [of 2008]," Nino Burdzhanadze said. "This is my position and that of the president, which I have verified."
Burdzhanadze added the authorities are ready for dialogue concerning other demands, which include a greater role for the opposition and democratic changes to electoral procedures.
The leader of the pro-presidential faction United National Movement earlier also ruled out spring elections.
"Concessions are impossible on some issues of crucial importance for the country. The government cannot fix elections being actually in a state of war," Maya Nadiradze said in an apparent reference to simmering conflicts with two breakaway regions.
The Georgian government earlier said it expected Serbia's breakaway province Kosovo to receive independence next spring, and Russia to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, de facto independent republics on Georgian territory, in response. Elections at such a time would not be timely.
Ahead of talks with Burdzhanadze, the opposition said they would stage open-ended protests and even threatened to topple Saakashvili, who has been accused of amassing too much power and growing increasingly totalitarian, if their demands were not met.
"If Saakashvili does not make concessions, we will declare national protests, blockade parliament, government and Interior Ministry buildings," said Irakly Tsereteli, an opposition party leader.
Police said the rally in Tbilisi, which opposition earlier on Friday claimed gathered 100,000 supporters, is under control, no incidents have occurred.
The only incident occurred when a group of activists attempted to break through to a government building to tear down a poster depicting a caricature of Badri Patarkatsishvili, a businessman in opposition to the president. Police blocked their path.
Protesters put up a mock gallows in front of the parliamentary building with a rose stem instead of rope with Saakashvili's photograph attached to the end.
Saakashvili, who has pushed for NATO membership for the Caucasus state and has enjoyed Western backing in his ongoing disputes with Russia, has recently faced growing protests at home. Protests increased after Saakashvili ordered the arrest of an ex-defense minister, Irakly Okruashvili, who accused him of corruption and plotting to kill Patarkatsishvili.
Okruashvili was forcibly flown out of the country to Europe to prevent him from taking part in Friday's rally. Officials said he went abroad for medical treatment.
A senior U.S. diplomat and the chief of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) flew to Tbilisi on Thursday to meet with opposition leaders ahead of the rally. A leader of the opposition bloc, Georgy Khaindrava, said after the meetings they had assured the Western officials of their adherence to European and NATO integration.
