The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 24 2005
Saakashvili, Kocharian meet at Sevan retreat
By Anna Arzanova
Following a two-day unofficial visit to Armenia, President Mikheil
Saakashvili returned to Georgia on August 22 and said that there are
“no political problems” in their relations.
Accompanied Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili, President
Saakashvili met with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian at the
summer presidential residence on Lake Sevan.
Invited to Armenia by Kocharian, Saakashvili at a briefing Monday
said they discussed prospects for deepening cooperation on economic
and energy issues, the Trans Caucasian Railway running through
Abkhazia, tourism, the construction business as well as the situation
in Georgia’s predominantly Armenian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti.
According to Saakashvili, Georgian authorities are developing close
cooperation with Armenia and there are no political problems in the
relations between these two countries. “We can not live far away from
each other and thus economic integration absolutely must take place.
I believe that the economic integration of all three countries of the
South Caucasus should take place,” Saakashvili said in an interview
with journalists, adding that Georgia and Armenia have all the
preconditions in place for this.
Touching upon Armenian tourists in Adjara, Saakashvili said that
starting next summer they plan to open a daily Yerevan-Batumi flight.
“Why do Armenians visit Georgia? Because there is no more traffic
police harassing the people. This means that there are lots of
prospects in regard to the Georgian economy,” said Saakashvili.
In comparing the two countries, Saakashvili said that agriculture,
the bank sector and building spheres are more developed in Armenia
than in Georgia, but “all this has to start in Tbilisi now. We have
great potential and we can use it very well. That is why it was very
interesting to see how Armenia does everything that we are capable of
doing. We have to work in all directions.”
Speaking with journalists on the shores of Lake Sevan, Kocharian said
the meeting with Saakashvili was successful. “In my opinion,
neighbors must regularly find a reason for formal as well as informal
meetings with each other,” Kocharian stated.
The two men last met in Georgia at the Gudauri ski resort on April
1-2 in a unannounced visit.
The Armenian president said that the current state of affairs with
Georgia and the fact that Armenia and Georgia have not only official
but friendly relations as well is a positive signal and he expressed
his hope that the relations between the presidents will be further
developed.
Commenting on the question as to how Russian President Vladimir Putin
will assess their meeting, Kocharian refrained from answering
directly and diplomatically said that he agrees that the personal
friendship and relations as well as mutual trust between the
presidents Saakashvili and Putin is the most important precondition
for the settlement of relations between the two countries.
“My relations with Putin are also being developed based on trust.
Contacts mean tourism, presidential visits, business and mutual
interests. As a rule, it is impossible to build such relations in a
day or two, but it is possible to damage them in such a short
period,” Kocharian said.
Toward the end of the visit, the two presidents called on the other
neighboring states for more active cooperation. President Saakashvili
returned to Georgia Monday afternoon.