Defense chief says Georgia ready to negotiate with rebel regions’ authorities
By Nazrin Gadimova
The Georgian side is ready for talks with the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said on August 7.
"Of course, we are open to negotiations with the population of
Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, as well as their
representatives,
The minister said communications between people will be restored, and the process has already begun.
However, he said, political issues and matters related to the border concern Russian-Georgian relations.
According to him, these problems are being considered in the format of the Geneva talks and they will be continued in the future.
Georgia and Russia have maintained no diplomatic relations since the brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over 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.