Georgia Does Not Consider Restoration of Diplomatic Ties with Russia
TBILISI - Georgian Prime Minister's Special Representative for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze stated on Friday that Georgian side does not consider restoration of diplomatic relations with neighboring Russia, until there is significant progress regarding Georgia’s breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Abashidze made comments in response to Grigory Karasin, Russia’s Foreign Minister, who told Russian news agency-Ria Novosti on Thursday that despite Russia’s positive steps, Georgian side is not ready to restore diplomatic ties with Russia yet.
According to Abashidze, Russia has simplified visa regime with Georgia this year and the number of visas issued by them has increased significantly. However, he excludes restoration of diplomatic relations, until some positive steps are made by the neighbour country towards territorial integrity of Georgia.
Karasin stated in his interview that Russia may introduce visa-free regime with Georgia, but Tbilisi's visa liberalization talks with the European Union should be taken into account.
According to him, during the recent years, significant positive results have been reached in Georgian-Russian talks, adding that Russia simplified visa regime for Georgians. However, he noted that periodically official Tbilisi cannot abstain from confrontational rhetoric towards Russia and it is not still ready to restore diplomatic ties.
“This rhetoric does not give stability to the aforementioned positive trends," Karasin stressed.
Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream (GD) says Karasin’s statements cannot be followed by any consideration about restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
“There is no positive ground to start such talks; our political incompatibility is resulted due to Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories,” said member of majority, Gia Volsky.
The opposition United National Movement (UNM) say Karasin’s statements mean nothing. They think that Russia may abolish visa regime with Georgia, only if Georgian government gives up some of their positions at the expense of state interests.
Georgia broke up diplomatic relations with Russia after August war 2008, which left 20% of Georgian territories occupied by Russia.
After the change of power of Georgian government in 2012, when GD won the elections, then Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili had set up the post of the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia and appointed the country’s former ambassador to Russia, Zurab Abashidze, to this post.
On December 14, 2012, the first meeting between Abashidze and Karasin took place in Geneva.
In 2013-2016 they have been meeting in Prague, with the latest meeting being held on October 19.
These meetings constitute the first example of a direct dialogue between the two countries’ officials since 2008 Russian-Georgian war.
Moreover, Georgia annulled visas for Russian tourists in 2011, though Russia maintained its complicated procedures utill this year, when the visa regime has been significantly simplified by the occupant neighbor.
Photo: Georgia's Zurab Abashidze and Russian Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin.
Source: pia.ge
By Thea Morrison