Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Six or seven years are needed to normalize Georgia's relations with the Abkhazia and Ossetia rebel regions, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili told journalists on Thursday, Azerbaijani news agency Trend reported.

"Georgia is not imposing its initiatives over the conflict regions," Zakareishvili said. According to him, Tbilisi is just taking steps to show that a phase of the peace process has started.

"Months are required to change the government's policy, and they will need about two years to see the change," Zakareishvili added.

The minister pledged there will be no plan against the Abkhazians and Ossetians until he holds the ministerial post, but further steps will be taken in line with Georgia's national interests.

Georgia lost control over its breakaway republics - South Ossetia and Abkhzia, after the two autonomous republics announced their independence. Russia had crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia 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 in September 2008.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he had "no idea" how to deal with Tbilisi regarding Georgia's separatist territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Radio Liberty reported.

Speaking at the first presidential conference of his third term of presidency, Putin said that he generally saw "positive signals" from the new Georgian government and believed there are possibilities for improving economic cooperation.

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has spoken of his desire to improve ties with Russia, where he made much of his vast fortune.

However, Putin said Russia would not reverse its decision to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia and he understands that Georgia will not change its attitude toward its territorial integrity.

Putin blamed Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for the deadlock, but he didn't elaborate.

He said Russia "really wants" to normalize relations with Georgia, but in economic terms "it should be said straightly that Georgia is interested in this more than we are."

The same day President Saakashvili told the press that if Georgia relinquishes the term "occupation", all prospects of statehood development would be lost, as the country would lose international support and have to face Russia one-on-one.

"We should not stay one-on-one with Russia, as they would bring us down. They are trying to slowly reconcile us to their reality, but there is only one reality: they will not take us over until we recognize their authority," he said.

Saakashvili also noted that Georgia's attempt to approach Russia has yileded negative results. "Today [Thursday] Putin mockingly said what I did expect - Georgia needs Russia more than the Russians [need] Georgia. Thus, Russia dictates its own conditions under its so-called 'reality' of the existence of two new states," he said.

Saakashvili also considers the Geneva talks between the Georgian special envoy and the Russian President`s representative as a disturbing factor, saying that Russia intends to weaken the multilateral Geneva format, where Georgia has the support.

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.