Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Speaks of Relations with Georgia

In an interview to the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei published on February 10, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Valerie Loshchinin discussed the relations between Russia and Georgia. He once again accused Tbilisi of harboring terrorists in Pankisi gorge and also noted that Russia has boosted its presence in Georgia by taking over ?strategic sectors? of the Georgia?s economy.  The Minister also commented on the Russian military bases in Georgia.
 
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said ?terrorists still remain in the Pankisi gorge and this fact is well known by our Georgian colleagues.? ?With this background, their [Georgian authorities] statements that they have pulled out Defense Ministry forces from Pankisi and left only police there, sound very strange,? Loshchinin says.

The Georgian authorities announced in late January that the units of Internal Troops stationed in Pankisi were withdrawn, as there was no terrorism threat anymore.
 
When asked whether the Rose Revolution in Georgia and Orange Revolution in Ukraine triggered a decrease of Moscow?s influence over these two countries, Loshchinin responded that such a notion is just ?conjecture.?

?On the contrary, economic ties [with Georgia] have been boosted in the wake of the new leadership taking power [in Georgia]. The Russian presence in Georgia is more weighty than ever before: our capital reaches the most important strategic sectors [of Georgia], including the energy sector,? Valery Loshchinin said.
 
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister also spoke about the Russian military bases stationed in Batumi and Akhalkalaki. He said that ?a compromise can be reached? over the terms of presence of these bases in Georgia.
 
?From the military point of view these bases represent no importance at all and we want to pull them out. But we need to reach an agreement [with the Georgian side] first. Without this [agreement] there will be no funds allocated for [the withdrawal], which is several hundred million [U.S.] dollars. In total, the cost will exceed one billion [U.S.] dollars,? Loshchinin said; however he did not specified exactly which process will cost ?hundreds of millions? and which more than a billion.

?So an agreement over the terms of presence for these bases in Georgia is needed. Initially, we were talking about 14 years [for the withdrawal of bases]. Later, an 11-year term was proposed but it was also unacceptable for Georgia; meanwhile, we have been holding negotiations for five years already. I think a compromise is possible,? the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.

He also commented on Georgia?s proposal to set up a joint Georgian-Russian anti-terrorist center in Georgia in exchange of pull out of the military bases.

?Currently we are exchanging opinions [with the Georgian side] regarding this proposal. We should define: what kind of centers they will be; what their functions will be; goals; and tasks. At the same time the activity of these anti-terrorist centers should not involve only exchange of analytical information, but also training of border guards, as well as [training of] staff for the anti-terrorist purposes,? he said.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said that Tbilisi is mainly pushing the issue of setting up an anti-terrorist center in Batumi and is refraining from creating a similar center in Akhalkalaki.