RUSSIA AND GEORGIA DEMAND POLICY RADICAL CHANGES OF EACH OTHER

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2006 16:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgian FM Gela Bezhuashvili has held talks with his
Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of Security Council
Igor Ivanov in Moscow. These are the first talks at that high level
between Russia and Georgia after the latest differences poured into
an open diplomatic conflict in September. In an interview with the
BBC Bezhuashvili said, "We are interested in Russia’s stance over
the provinces that seceded from Georgia. We want Moscow to be our
partner in that issue and help Georgia reunite.

This is the essence of the issue in the Russian-Georgian relations. And
the blockade and economic sanctions against Georgia will do no
good and should be canceled." However, Ivanov accuses Georgia in
escalation of the crisis and believes the relations will change when
the Georgian leadership change their policy. Georgian MP, European
Integration Committee Chair David Bakradze said, "It should be noted
that Mr. Bezhuashvili arrived in Moscow from Baku, not from Tbilisi
owing to Russia’s sanctions. And the Minister going that way shows
his readiness to dialogue."

Moscow Institute of World Economy expert Alexander Krylov says Russia
is not afraid to damage relations with Georgia: "It is important not
only to gain new allies, but not to lose old ones. Moscow will first
of all be guided towards countries, which showed themselves as our
reliable allies. These are Armenia and the unrecognized republics,"
reports Golos Rossii.