Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze has said the Georgian government should in no case "heat false and unrealistic expectations" over Georgia's accession to the European Union or NATO in the near future.

"Yesterday, I was informed from Brussels about the North Atlantic Council's planned visit to Georgia," Panjikidze said at a meeting with the parliamentary minority on Tuesday. "This will happen very soon. Furthermore, the Military Committee [the senior military authority in NATO] will also visit Georgia this autumn; all of this proves NATO's hailing Georgia's success on this path. I hope that this process will get a positive reflection at the 2014 summit. However, I would like to state definitely that in no case false and unrealistic expectations concerning Georgia's accession to the EU and NATO should be taken seriously."

During the meeting Panjikidze also touched upon the government's foreign policy. The minister said that Georgia should strive to maintain good relations with all countries, especially with neighbors.

"We need good relations with Russia, as many issues cannot be solved without Moscow's involvement. Hence, there is a desire to improve relations with this country," she stressed.

Georgia and Russia 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 the two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the breakaway regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.

Meanwhile, the issue of monitoring of the Georgian-Russian border was discussed in the Georgian parliament with Swiss Ambassador to Georgia Gunther Behlerom on Wednesday.

The sides discussed the role of the Swiss company SGS, which will be engaged in the monitoring of the Georgian-Russian border.

During the discussions the parties also touched upon the Geneva consultations, meetings in separate format and negotiations held between Georgian PM's Special Representative for Russian Affairs Zurab Abashidze and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.

"Switzerland as a mediator plays a very important role in resolving the thorny issues of the relationship," Chairman of the Georgian Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee Tedo Japaridze said commenting on the meeting.

Monitoring of the Georgian-Russian border was one of the conditions under which Georgia agreed to Russia's accession to the WTO. During the negotiations, it was agreed that the monitoring would be conducted by the Swiss side.