Tbilisi not precludes Georgian, Russian leaders’ meeting
By Jamila Babayeva
Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze does not exclude holding of the Russian-Georgian meeting at the highest level. "This is very serious issue," she told journalists on February 12.
"This requires serious preparation. It will not happen immediately, but such a meeting cannot be excluded, and not in our interests to exclude it," Panjikidze noted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently voiced the possibility to meet with his Georgian counterpart. "If he wants, why not?" Putin said.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili,in turn, noted that he needs to consult within the country and with foreign colleagues concerning a possible meeting with the Russian leader.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in turn expressed readiness for a direct dialogue with the Russian administration. Also, he considers that they have to prepare for that meeting very seriously.
Panjikidze further said the next Geneva talks will be held in late March.
"Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and Georgian Prime Minister's advisor on the Georgian- Russian relations Zurab Abashidze will have a meeting in late February," she said. "It is not excluded that during this meeting some details will be announced".
Panjikidze stressed that the normalization of relations with Russia is "very important" for Georgia.
Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over two rebel regions -South Ossetia and Abkhazia- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.