Georgia says not in talks with Russia on its return to CIS
By Sabina Idayatova
Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani has said Georgia does not have any contact with Russia with regard to its return to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
According to Russian media, Mikhail Yevdokimov, a Russian Foreign Ministry official, said on Tuesday that contacts had been initiated with the Georgian government on Georgia's return to the CIS. He emphasized that Georgia's return to the bloc of former Soviet republics depends only on the Georgian government.
"Georgia was not expelled from the CIS. It was the Georgian government's decision," Yevdokimov said. According to him, no country will oppose Georgia's return to the commonwealth.
"I want to officially state that we don't have any contact with the Russian side with regard to Georgia's return to the Commonwealth of Independent States," Zalkaliani told InterpressNews on Tuesday.
"Consequently, the information released by media sources is not true. We have openly declared our foreign policy, which is the choice of the Georgian people - Euro-Atlantic integration."
Georgian Prime Minister's special representative for Russian affairs Zurab Abashidze said that he was unaware why Yevdokimov made a statement on Georgia's rejoining the CIS.
According to Abashidze, he will try to clarify why these remarks were made and inform publicly to that end.
Chairman of the Georgian parliament David Usupashvili ruled out the country's return to the CIS, saying that the question has not even reached the stage of consideration.
Meanwhile, RTVI television channel reports that Russia's Foreign Ministry will make a statement regarding Georgia's return to the CIS by the end of the week.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili stated Georgia's withdrawal from the CIS after the armed conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008. On August 14, 2008 the Georgian parliament voted almost unanimously in favor of quitting this international organization.
On August 18, 2008 the Georgian Foreign Ministry sent a note to the CIS Executive Committee notifying it of Georgia's withdrawal.
Georgia joined the Commonwealth in December 1993. In August 2009, it withdrew from the organization. However, the South Caucasus republic remains party to more than 70 international agreements adopted within the framework of the CIS.
CIS is a loose association of former Soviet republics except Baltic states and Georgia, aimed at coordination of efforts among its members in the realm of developing trade, finance, lawmaking, and security, as well as crime prevention. The organization was founded in December 1991 by the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, when their leaders met outside Brest in Belarus and signed an agreement on the dissolution of the USSR and the creation of CIS as a successor entity.