Direct flights set to resume after Putin-Saakashvili meeting
By Eter Tsotniashvili
Friday, February 22
President Mikheil Saakashvili met with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday in Moscow, amid hopes bilateral relations could emerge from their deep freeze but weighed down by tense rhetoric on Georgia’s breakaway territories.
The 40-minute meeting, coming before today’s informal CIS summit, ended with both presidents offering vague assurances of improved relations, but little word on what, if any, agreements had been reached beyond the resumption of direct air flights.
In a short address before the meeting, Putin said his government would try to respond in kind to Georgian overtures of warmer relations.
“In many areas our relations show trends toward improvement,” Putin said, noting that Russia has agreed to renew flight connections between Moscow and Tbilisi. “We can discuss these issues, and other problems—there are quite a few of those.”
Saakashvili, in his pre-meeting remarks, welcomed an end to the “abnormal” suspension of flights.
Russia cut off air links while imposing a blanket trade embargo in 2006, after Georgian authorities arrested and expelled a group of Russian men accused of spying.
Negotiations on the embargo are continuing.
“I think we will also manage the problem of [the embargo],” Saakashvili said. “This issue is very important from a political point of view. I think there are a lot of other issues on which Russia and Georgia should bring their positions closer.”
Saakashvili invited Putin to Georgia, expressing regret the outgoing president could not visit as a head of state, but welcoming him as a prime minister.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Foreign Minister Davit Bakradze confirmed an agreement was reached on restoring air links, but said talks were continuing on other key disputes.
The most pressing question was that of Georgia’s breakaway territories, Abkhazia and South Ossetia; Russia has threatened to recognize their independence in retaliation for Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence, a move which Tbilisi says would amount to war.
Bakradze said Putin’s government suggested that “in principle” they do not intend to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The 40-minute meeting, coming before today’s informal CIS summit, ended with both presidents offering vague assurances of improved relations, but little word on what, if any, agreements had been reached beyond the resumption of direct air flights.
In a short address before the meeting, Putin said his government would try to respond in kind to Georgian overtures of warmer relations.
“In many areas our relations show trends toward improvement,” Putin said, noting that Russia has agreed to renew flight connections between Moscow and Tbilisi. “We can discuss these issues, and other problems—there are quite a few of those.”
Saakashvili, in his pre-meeting remarks, welcomed an end to the “abnormal” suspension of flights.
Russia cut off air links while imposing a blanket trade embargo in 2006, after Georgian authorities arrested and expelled a group of Russian men accused of spying.
Negotiations on the embargo are continuing.
“I think we will also manage the problem of [the embargo],” Saakashvili said. “This issue is very important from a political point of view. I think there are a lot of other issues on which Russia and Georgia should bring their positions closer.”
Saakashvili invited Putin to Georgia, expressing regret the outgoing president could not visit as a head of state, but welcoming him as a prime minister.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Foreign Minister Davit Bakradze confirmed an agreement was reached on restoring air links, but said talks were continuing on other key disputes.
The most pressing question was that of Georgia’s breakaway territories, Abkhazia and South Ossetia; Russia has threatened to recognize their independence in retaliation for Kosovo’s recent declaration of independence, a move which Tbilisi says would amount to war.
Bakradze said Putin’s government suggested that “in principle” they do not intend to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia.