PEACEFUL GEORGIAN ROAD: MOSCOW AND TBILISI ARE PREPARING FOR FLIGHTS AND TRIPS
by Mikhail Vignansky, Ivan Solovyev

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 28, 2009 Monday
Russia

SIGNS OF REAL WARMING UP OF RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND GEORGIA
APPEARED FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE CONFLICT IN THE CAUCASUS;
Russia and Georgia may restart air flights and ground communication
between the countries.

In case of agreement of the Russian party Georgian company Airzena
– Georgia Airways may perform the first of the series of "holiday"
flights planned for the period until and through January 15 on December
26. From January 5 restarting of direct air communication between
the two countries interrupted in August of 2008 may become regular.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov points out that possible
restarting of direct air communication between Russia and Georgia is
an "unprecedented case" because the two countries have no diplomatic
relations.

The quantity of opportunities for communication will grow from
March when Kazbegi-Verkhny Lars checkpoint will be opened on the
North Ossetian part of the border between Russia and Georgia. Deputy
Foreign Minister of Georgia Nino Kalandadze reports that in the next
two weeks the parties will fix their readiness for restarting of
functioning of this checkpoint in the next two weeks.

Tbilisi considers Kazbegi-Verkhny Lars the only legal checkpoint
on the border with Russia and does not recognize legitimacy of the
border checkpoints in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Armenia interested
in transit to Russia via Georgia in conditions of blocked border with
Turkey participated in these negotiations besides Switzerland. Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced, "The coordination passed
professionally and in a non-politicized manner." According to Lavrov,
"It was Russia that proposed opening of the checkpoint."

Lavrov hopes that Georgia and Armenia will take the decision to
restart the work of the checkpoint positively. He says, "Georgia is
our neighbor and Georgian people are the people friendly to us. We
share the feelings about the situation in which these people have
found themselves."

However, the first steps towards establishment of practical cooperation
do not promise large-scale restoration of relations including the
diplomatic ones yet.

Senior deputy speaker of the parliament of Georgia Mikhail Machavariani
listed the conditions for political negotiations with Russia, "We are
ready to talk to Russia in any format but only in case of withdrawal of
its forces from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, cancellation of recognition
of these republics by Moscow and return of refugees." So far, both
parties are looking for a system of mutual relations that can enable
them to cooperate without diplomatic relations and to "save the face"
against the background of continuation of harsh public polemic.

Moscow authorities presume that authorities of Georgia have not given
up the forceful solution of the problem and propose the West to pay
attention to this. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced,
"I can only express a regret that revanchist statements of Mikhail
Saakashvili continue."

Source: Vremya Novostey, December 25, 2009, pp. 1, 3

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress