Lavrov, Bezhuashvili Comment Ahead of Talks

Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on November 1 before talks with his Georgian counterpart Gela Bezhuashvili that he hopes the meeting will lay the ground for an improvement of ties between the two countries.

?We are holding this meeting in the light of not the best period of relations [between Russia and Georgia]. I hope that after this meeting more clarity will appear about what we should do to improve the situation,? Lavrov said in his remarks to the press prior to the talks.

“We are ready to direct our relations towards the course which is relevant to our historic links. And of course all this should be based on mutual respect and taking into consideration each others interests,? Gela Bezhuashvili said in his opening remarks.

After talks with Lavrov, Bezhuashvili plans to meet with Secretary of the Russian National Security Council, Igor Ivanov, late on November 1.