Margvelashvili ready to meet with Putin
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said he was ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Margvelashvili noted that he is ready to sit with his Russian counterpart if the Georgia-Russia relations will be discussed by taking into account all conflict issues.
"I am ready to meet with the Russian president, but only for the issues concerning Georgia and Russia. We offer Russia good neighbor and friendly relations given the restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and we are ready to discuss it," Margvelashvili said on October 28.
He added that the Russo-Georgian relations have acute angles. "Georgia is a peaceful and friendly country which doesn't have an aggressive attitude towards Russia. But it is under Russia's occupation and aggressive threats " Margvelashvili noted.
Earlier this February Russian President Vladimir Putin has not excluded to meet with Margvelashvili if he would show the same desire. Georgian leader has then said it was necessary to thoroughly prepare for talks. At the same time, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili has also expressed his readiness to meet with Putin.
Putin's Press Secretary Dmitriy Peskov announced last week that the Russian leader is ready to come together with his Georgian colleague. "We are waiting for a concrete signal from Tbilisi. Putin has clearly noted that the meeting will be held if he gets a signal from the Georgian side," he has said.
The relations between Georgia and Russia pushed all limits when Georgian troops launched military operations to retake the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions on August 8, 2008. Russian armed forces entered the regions to stop the military attacks by Georgian troops. After four days of tense fighting, Georgian forces were expelled from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia carried out massive air strikes on the military and logistical targets inside Georgia, particularly in Gori city. Both sides agreed to a ceasefire on August 12. Russia is currently dominating the collective peacekeeping missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.