Peacekeepers Issue Pending Top-Level Talks

The Georgian government’s steps regarding Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the conflict zones remain unclear, as talks between the Georgian and Russian leaders have been indefinitely postponed.

President Saakashvili canceled his visit to Moscow, planned for July 21-22, after Russian officials said that President Putin had no time for face-to-face talks with the Georgian leader in his schedule of an informal summit of CIS leaders. The Ukrainian and Armenian Presidents also failed to appear in at the summit, citing the “internal political situation” and illness, respectively.

President Saakashvili said on July 18, shortly after the Parliament instructed the government to launch procedures for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, that the executive authorities will make a final decision only after his talks with Putin. No other comment has been made by President Saakashvili about the Parliament’s resolution so far.

After the Russian side’s refusal to hold talks with Saakashvili , key leaders of the ruling National Movement parties convened a press conference and emphasized that the Russian side was also against making public statements made by the two Presidents after the potential talks.

Influential parliamentarian Giga Bokeria said Putin “is afraid of making public statements” together with President Saakashvili.

“If we again see footage of a press conference [held by Putin and Saakashvili after talks] in St. Petersburg [on June 13] it will become clear that President Putin feels very uncomfortable while speaking publicly with Saakashvili,” MP Bokeria said. 

Meanwhile, Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on July 21 that consultations are currently underway with the Russian side to arrange talks between the two Presidents, but he failed to specify when the meeting might take place.

He said that the Georgian side was offered to hold talks at a horse race – visiting a track was part of the CIS informal summit agenda – “but a horse race is not a place to discuss serious issues,” Bezhuashvili added.

Officials in Tbilisi say that the Georgian side has prepared a set of proposals, mainly involving issues related with conflict resolution, which should be discussed by the two Presidents. Details of these proposals have not been reported.

“These proposals are very realistic and very fair, and will contribute positively to conflict resolution. I hope this meeting will take place in the future,” Burjanadze told reporters on July 21.