Author: Basmajian Ani

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 12, 2004 Friday

Armenia may help normalize Russia-Georgia relations – pres

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said he believed Armenia could
contribute to the settlement of Georgian-Russian relations.

Saakashvili, who arrived in Yerevan on an official visit on Friday,
stated that he intended to normalize his country’s relations with
Russia, which he said “dramatically worsened under the previous
Georgian president.”

“We think that Armenia, with its special relations with Russia, can
play a special role in normalizing Georgian-Russian relations,” the
Georgian president emphasized.

“Russia for Georgia is a very important partner,” Saakashvili said.
In his view, it would be wrong not to use Armenia’s potential in
relations with Russia.

The Georgian president said many countries, which had developed good
relations with Russia, might contribute to the process of normalizing
Russian-Georgian ties. He said he had discussed the issue with French
President Jacques Chirac several days ago.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 12, 2004 Friday

Saakashvili certain Russia will not interfere in Georgia’s affairs

By Tengiz Pachkoria

TBILISI

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is certain that Russia has no
intention of interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs.

Speaking in Tbilisi earlier on Friday before flying to the Armenian
capital Yerevan Saakashvili said, “Russia plans no interference in
Georgia’s internal affairs. President Vladimir Putin made a definite
statement on that score at our meeting in Moscow in February. I trust
Putin.”

Saakashvili was speaking after some local mass media alleged Russia
had the intention to increase the strength of the personnel of its
military base in Adzharia to intervene in the relationship between
Tbilisi and Batumi.