Peacekeepers Issue Pending Top-Level Talks
Civil Georgia, Georgia
July 22, 2006
The Georgian government’s steps in respect of Russian peacekeeping
troops stationed in the conflict zones remain unclear, as talks
between the Georgian and Russian leaders have been postponed for so
far unknown date.
President Saakashvili canceled his visit to Moscow planned for July
21-22 after the Russian officials said President Putin had no space
for face-to-face talks with the Georgian leader in his schedule of an
informal summit of CIS leaders. The Ukrainian and Armenian Presidents
also failed to appear in at the summit citing "internal political
situation" and illness, respectively.
President Saakashvili said on July 18, shortly after the Parliament
instructed the government to launch procedures for the withdrawal
of Russian peacekeepers from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, that the
executive authorities will take final decision only after his talks
with Putin. No other comment was made by President Saakashvili about
the Parliament’s resolution so far.
After the Russian side’s refusal to hold Putin-Saakashvili talks,
key leaders of the ruling National Movement parties convened a press
conference and emphasized that the Russian side was also against of
making public statements by the two Presidents after the potential
talks.
An influential parliamentarian Giga Bokeria said Putin "is afraid of
making public statements" together with President Saakashvili.
"If we see again footage of a press conference [held by Putin and
Saakashvili after talks] in St. Petersburg [on June 13] it will become
clear that President Putin feels very uncomfortable while speaking
publicly with Saakashvili," MP Bokeria said.
Meanwhile, Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on July
21 that consultations are currently underway with the Russian side
to arrange talks between the two Presidents, but he failed to specify
when the meeting might take place.
He said that the Georgian side was offered to hold talks at a horse
race – visiting track by the Presidents was part of the CIS informal
summit agenda, "but a horse race is not a place to discuss serious
issues."
Officials in Tbilisi say that the Georgian side has prepared a set
of proposals, mainly involving issues related with the conflict
resolution, which should be discussed by the two Presidents. But no
details of these proposals are reported.
"These proposals are very realistic and very fair, which will
contribute positively to the conflict resolution. I hope this meeting
will take place in the future," Burjanadze told reporters on July 21.