Putin Comments on Russian-Georgian Ties

Speaking at a news conference in Baku on February 22 Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the Georgian authorities for their attempt to distract public attention from the social problems and “the search for external enemy,” but he also said that President Saakashvili is among those “forces in Georgia” who want “to develop relations with Russia,” Interfax and RIA Novosti news agencies reported.

“It is the wrong way if someone thinks that internal problems can be solved through shifting the attention of the population towards the search for external enemies,” Interfax quoted the Russian President.

He said that in Soviet times the Georgian economy was one of the most developed among the former Soviet states, but now “the living standards of [the Georgian] population is very low,” according to RIA Novosti.

Putin also said that the poor condition of the Georgian economy destabilizes the situation not only in the country itself, but in the whole region as well.

He said that the best way to solve economic problems is through a dialogue with neighboring states. Putin said that Russia is ready to participate in solving those problems which are holdovers from Soviet times, according to RIA Novosti.

Putin also noted that in Georgia there are forces “including among the leadership, who want to develop relations with Russia, President Mikheil Saakashvili is among them,” Interfax reported.

He also expressed hope that “positive [trends] will prevail” in the bilateral relations.