Georgia ready to talk to Russia, Vashadze says

Georgia is ready for talks with Russia “any time, anywhere” without any preconditions, the Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze said on Tuesday. He was speaking at a joint press conference with his Estonian counterpart, Urmas Paet who is paying a two-day visit to Georgia. “This is the difference between a democratic and a non-democratic state. Russia says that it will not talk with the democratically elected government of Georgia,” Vashadze stated. “The fact that Georgia and Russia currently do not have any diplomatic relations is a result of the choice that Russia made,” he added.

The Georgian Minister highlighted the situation in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, saying that Russia is using the two regions “for provocations against Georgia.” “The situation on Georgia’s occupied territories is quite difficult and kidnappings and shootouts are a daily reality there. Russia is in those regions in order to provocate Georgia.” Vashadze noted, adding, “Georgia’s occupied territories are ‘black holes’ where Georgian citizens are deprived of the right to receive an education in their own language and to learn the history of their own country. They are being forced to take Abkhazian passports and to serve in the separatists’ army.”

Meanwhile Georgian analysts say that there is “nothing new” in the reiterated statements of the Georgian officials about Tbilisi’s readiness to start dialogue with Moscow “right away”. Speaking to The Messenger, political analyst Soso Tsintsadze noted that the statements will bring “no effect” while the Kremlin maintains its position not to conduct any dialogue with President Saakashvili and his administration. “We have our own position, Moscow has its own, and in the end the situation is like a circus act,” the analyst said “It seems that Georgian officials keep talking about their readiness for dialogue with Moscow just to show the international community that Tbilisi wants negotiations but Moscow doesn't,” Tsintsadze said, adding that right now there are only opportunities for person-to-person dialogue or for dialogue at experts’ level between the two countries.

Georgia has no difficulties with convincing the international community that the democratic reforms in the country are “irreversible”, according to the Georgian Foreign Minister, who said, “We do not need to prove that the democratisation process and reforms are continuing irreversibly in the country. The only problem is financial. However we do not need financial aid; we want to attract investments, which has decreased not only in Georgia but also in the rest of the world due to the world financial crisis.” He added, “Even though the country suffered the war in 2008, which also caused a downturn in the flow of investments, now all international investors are certain that investing in Georgia is quite secure and that the legislation is quite liberal.”

The Estonian Foreign Minister is hopeful that Russia will agree to start talks with Georgia. “We are glad that Georgia is ready to start dialogue with Russia to solve the conflicts and we hope that Russia will agree to begin negotiations. As for Georgia’s occupied territories, the international community suggests that the only way to solve the problem is to restore the Georgian government’s control over these territories,” Paet told journalists.

NATO member states are grateful to Georgia for its participation in he Afghan peacekeeping mission, the Estonian Foreign Minister said. He expressed his regret and sympathy about the death of the Georgian soldier in Afghanistan. “It is a very sad fact. Georgian soldiers are defending international peace in Afghanistan and I think that this is one of the highlights of NATO-Georgia relations. Georgia’s participation in the Afghan mission is a good example for other partner states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation,” he said.

Georgia remains an important partner for Estonia. Paet stated, “We are glad that the mutual cooperation with Georgia is developing dynamically. Several agreements have been signed, including ones concerning pensions and social security. I can tell you that in the 5-year plan of Estonia’s development, cooperation with Georgia in these areas takes an important place.”

The Georgian Foreign Minister thanked his Estonian colleague for supporting Georgia. “We discussed all the issues regarding mutual cooperation between Georgia and Estonia at today’s meeting. Estonia supports us in European and Euro Atlantic integration issues and I would like to thank them for this,” Vashadze noted.