Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on April 26 that improving relations with Russia significantly depends on the resolution of the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts.
Nogaideli and Bezhuashvili were speaking at a news conference which was held jointly by all members of the Georgian cabinet for a large group of Georgian journalists.
?We do not intend to compromise with Russia at the expense of our national interests,? Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said, adding that the agreement over the base pullout was a example of a good relationship with Russia, however ?there are issues over which we still fail to find a common language.?
Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said that he is ?not satisfied? with the current level of relations with Russia. ?But we are sparing no efforts and we will do our best to improve these relations and make them transparent,? he said.
?It is clear that Russia?s stance regarding the conflicts is not neutral. Russia is a concerned party, as we can bring-up numerous facts about how Russia pursues a policy of gradual annexation,? Bezhuashvili added.
He said that despite ?numerous obstacles? Tbilisi?s peace plan over South Ossetia ?works.?
?The process [of implementing the peace plan] tends to be dragged out,? the Foreign Minister said.
Bezhuashvili said that currently the Georgian government is preparing for the international donors? conference, scheduled for May in Brussels, where, as Bezhuashvili put it, ?we will submit detailed projects to the donors and solid funds will be allocated in order to start the economic rehabilitation [of the South Ossetian conflict zone].?
He said that the government is developing a road map for resolution of the Abkhaz conflict as well, which will be similar to that on South Ossetia.
?We will offer this plan to our Abkhaz colleagues and then jointly develop a document that will bring us to a final solution to the problem,? he added.
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