Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a news briefing at the Kremlin on December 23 that Russia has contributed to the settlement of the recent political crisis in Abkhazia, which erupted after the disputed October 3 presidential elections.
?By uniting the conflicting sides Russian mediators managed to [help Abkhazia] avoid a possible armed confrontation in the region. What is bad and anti-Georgian in that?? Putin said.
?As for the visit of Russian officials [to Abkhazia], I will not pretend that they were there as private individuals. But our efforts were directed at settling the political conflict inside the region,? the Russian President said.
?It is unlikely that a crisis in Abkhazia is in Georgia’s interests,? Putin added.
Georgia expressed numerous protests regarding, as Tbilisi puts it, ?unauthorized? visits of top level Russian officials to breakaway Abkhazia without prior notification of the Georgian side.
In separate comments made on December 22, Vladimir Putin said that Russia is interested in establishing ?good neighbor relations with Georgia,? the Russian President?s press office reported.
?Georgia is not simply a neighbor of Russia: our people are interlinked with a common historical fate, spiritual and cultural roots and we are frankly interested in developing Russian-Georgian relations in a partnership and good-neighborly spirit,? Putin said at a presentation ceremony of accrediting the Georgian Ambassador to Russia Valerie Chechelashvili in the Kremlin on December 22.