New Georgian PM’s envoy for Russian affairs appointed
By Sabina Idayatova
Georgia's former ambassador to Russia, political analyst Zurab Abashidze has been appointed as the Prime Minister's personal representative for Russian affairs.
New Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose opposition coalition Georgian Dream won the October 1 parliamentary election, hopes that the newly appointed special envoy will be able to change the situation with the strained Georgian-Russian relations.
"We begin our relationship by turning over a new page, we are rejecting aggressive rhetoric and expecting reciprocal actions. We have historical relations with the Russian people, which had shaped before the Soviet Union and later strengthened. We must fix and settle the Georgian-Russian relations, and then raise them to a high level, " Ivanishvili said.
"Our relations with Russia had been disrupted even prior to 2008, and the reckless war in 2008 finally led to a complete severing of diplomatic relations. Moreover, a large number of citizens of Georgia, a lot of mixed marriages give us additional trump cards in the settlement of relations," the Georgian prime minister said.
Ivanishvili also noted that Abashidze has "a complicated and difficult" mission, but he thinks Abashidze has "the resources for reconciliation".
The prime minister hopes that it is possible to restore the cultural and trade relations with Russia for now.
"Restoration of diplomatic relations with Russia is directly related to the territorial integrity of Georgia," he stressed.
During a briefing for journalists held on Thursday, Ivanishvili noted that restoration of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia is a difficult process requiring a long time.
"And if by the end of this year we are able to arrange export of citrus fruits to Russia, it will be a great success," he said.
However Ivanishvili said that the strategic intention of Georgia to join NATO remains a direction of foreign policy, but establishment of relations with Russia is "a necessary condition" for the development of the country.
Meanwhile, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili touched upon the current Georgian-Russian relations during an online press conference on Thursday, saying that the governments of both countries have to start constructive dialogue.
According to Zakareishvili, the main focus will be the issue of Georgia's accession to NATO, which does not prevent normalization of its relations with Russia.
But the minister absolutely ruled out the possibility of restoration of diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia at a time when Moscow is not inclined toward any compromise on the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Tensions between Georgia and Russia rose in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions in August 2008 and later recognized the breakaway regions. In response. Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia were recognized by six and five UN member states respectively. They are also mutually recognized by two UN non-member states and by each other.
South Ossetia was recognized as an independent republic by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Tuvalu in the wake of the 2008 South Ossetia War.
Georgia and the vast majority of other countries do not recognize Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence and officially consider them as sovereign territory of the Georgian state.