Russian Foreign Minister Visits Georgia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is currently paying a working visit to Georgia, expressed hope, upon his arrival on February 17, that talks with the Georgian leadership will foster “progress” in bilateral relations.

Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze on February 18.

Speaking with reporters in the Armenian capital Yerevan on February 17, shortly before his departure to Tbilisi, Sergey Lavrov said that that he will offer concrete proposals to the Georgian leadership during the talks.

“We bring several concrete proposals to Georgia regarding the comprehensive framework agreement, as well as regarding the issue of fulfilling those commitments which the both sides [Georgia and Russia] have undertaken in terms of the function of the Russian military bases [in Georgia’s towns of Batumi and Akhalkalaki]. We bring proposals about the idea of setting up a joint [Russian-Georgian] anti-terrorist center, or centers,” Sergey Lavrov told reporters in Yerevan on February 17.

“I have read an interview by my [Georgian] counterpart [Salome Zourabichvili]… she also has two or three concrete proposals, which, as she thinks, might help to open the way for an agreement. I regard this as a sign that Georgia is serious about tomorrow’s talks,” Lavrov added.

He was referring to Salome Zourabichvili’s interview published by the Russian news agency Interfax on February 17, in which the Georgian Foreign Minister articulated some of Tbilisi’s positions ahead of Lavrov’s visit.

Zourabichvili said that she has a short-term plan over bilateral ties, which she intends to discuss with her Russian counterpart.

“It [the plan] involves some concrete steps, which we can discuss over the next three months. In May, our President, Mikheil Saakashvili, could travel to Moscow and attend the 60th anniversary of Victory [in World War II] Day and sign the framework agreement… So I do not have a pessimistic forecast regarding our bilateral relations,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

During the interview she also tried to explain Georgia’s refusal to include a binding commitment not to station foreign military bases on the Georgian soil in the comprehensive framework agreement, as demanded by Russia.

“The issue of military bases belongs to the politics of 20th century; we live in the 21st [century]. Inclusion of this issue in the agreement would have symbolized unequal relations – similar to those which persisted between Georgia and Russia during Soviet times. We do not want to include this issue in the new framework agreement because [if it is included] it will turn out that Russia, as in Soviet times, still dictates what we should do and how we should behave. We are for new neighborly relations between our countries based on equal rights,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

“I want to remind you once again that Georgia doesn’t want the presence of foreign military bases on its soil. But this is Georgia’s good will and not a position forced by other countries,” she added.

Salome Zourabichvili blamed Russia for practicing a double standards policy, but added that she has “no pessimistic forecasts about future relations” between Georgia and Russia.

“Currently we are facing certain technical problems in bilateral ties, as there is no progress [being made] in talks at the experts’ level,” she said, referring to recent negotiations, which were held in Tbilisi last week, between Georgian and Russian Foreign Ministry officials over a comprehensive framework agreement and Russian military bases stationed in Georgia.

Salome Zourabichvili said that Georgia “is in a difficult situation” as Tbilisi “does not understand what Russia wants” from the Georgian side.

“We do not understand why the Russian Defense Minister [Sergey Ivanov] threatens to pre-emptively hit terrorist bases, which allegedly exist in Georgia, shortly before the Russian Foreign Minister’s visit… We are facing a double standards policy from Russia. On the one hand, the Russian Foreign Minister is coming to discuss painful issues, and on the other hand the Defense Minister, actually, directly threatens us with pre-emptive strikes,” Salome Zourabichvili said.

She said that Georgia made “at least three public gestures” in an attempt to show that Georgia is ready to improve ties with Russia.

“First, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was the first to extend a hand of friendship to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secondly, Georgia has eased visa requirements for Russian citizens; as a result they can obtain a Georgian visa directly at border. And thirdly, Georgia has offered favorable conditions for Russian companies in the privatization process which is currently underway in Georgia,” Salome Zourabichvili said.