Saakashvili Meets Medvedev

Mikheil Saakashvili (left) and Dmitry Medvedev meet in St. Petersburg. Photo: Kremlin press office.

The Georgian and Russian presidents spoke briefly before the press prior to a meeting in St. Petersburg on June 6 on the sidelines of an informal CIS summit.

“Yesterday I was in Germany, had talks with German colleagues; they’re worried about Russo-Georgian relations, but I think we ourselves will be able to resolve all issues we face today, overcome difficulties and find long-term solutions [to those problems]. What do you think?” Dmitry Medvedev asked his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Saakashvili.

“I absolutely agree with you,” Saakashvili responded. “I am very glad to have this opportunity to come and talk with you face-to-face and I really hope for fruitful and long-term cooperation and the resolution of all painful, pressng issues. I think there are no issues that can not be resolved; there are many unresolved problems, but there are no problems that will be impossible to resolve. Every [problem] can be resolved if there is goodwill and mutual understanding. Russia and Georgia are very close to each other from historic, cultural and people-to-people points of view and today’s situation is artificial and no one can benefit from it. All the issues must be resolved; there are principle issues; accumulated issues, which I hope we will resolve.”

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