Russia, Georgia should trust each other – Prime Minister Fradkov
18:12
RIA Novosti, Russia
June 3 2005
TBILISI, June 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and Georgia should trust each
other more, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said. “I wish we
had fewer problems and trusted each other more,” Fradkov said at a
joint briefing with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Speaking about problems in the dialogue on Georgia’s territorial
integrity, Fradkov said that was not working against us.
“Cooperation on this issue faces many problems and disputes but time
is working not against but for us,” the Russian prime minister said.
According to him, the withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia and
their deployment to Armenia does not threaten Azerbaijan.
“We are pulling out the bases according to the schedule and specifying
details,” he said. “We should not scare each other.”
President Saakashvili said, in turn, that the sides had caught “a
second breath.” “The decision on the Russian military bases eased
our tensions,” he added.
There are no obstacles in Russian-Georgian relations and the countries
should get rid of the past heritage, the president said.
Saakashvili said that he was ready to go to Moscow on Victory Day.
“But the propaganda boom around the military bases did not let me go.”
“I would like to show vineyards in Kakhetia to Vladimir Putin and
treat him to real Kakhetian wine,” the Georgian president said.
Saakashvili hopes to sign a Russian-Georgian framework cooperation
agreement during Vladimir Putin’s visit.