Russian news agency TASS quoted the Kremlin press service as saying that Moscow is “sharing the concern” of the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia, Russia-friendly nativist outfit, over the deteriorated Russo-Georgian relations.
Earlier on August 1, the leaders of the Alliance of Patriots, including Irma Inashvili, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, former MPs Giorgi Lomia and Gocha Tevdoradze, among others, addressed letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking him assistance in normalizing Russo-Georgian relations, noting that “we are convinced supporters of building truly sincere and friendly relations between Georgia and Russia based on mutual respect and trust.”
“We share the concern expressed in the letter over the current state of the bilateral relations and the call to improve them. Russia has always supported the constructive relations with Georgia. As it is well known, we did not initiate their breach,” TASS quoted today the Kremlin’s press service as saying.
According to TASS, the Kremlin called the letter a vivid proof that “despite all efforts of Russophobes and radicals, Georgia still has sensible forces that support the restoration of good-neighborly relations between” the two countries.
Georgia cut diplomatic relations with Russia in September 2008 after the latter occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and recognized the so-called independence of the two regions from Tbilisi.
As diplomatic relations between the two countries remain cut, the new Georgian Dream administration launched informal, direct bilateral dialogue with Russia in late 2012, appointing Zurab Abashidze as Prime Minister’s special representative for Russia. Grigory Karasin, currently Russian Federation Council Senator and formerly Deputy Foreign Minister serves as Abashidze’s Russian interlocutor.
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