Georgia calls on Russia to take a more reasonable stance and demonstrate positive political will so as a comprehensive political resolution to the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia can be reached, the Office of the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues said in a statement issued on April 25.
The Georgian side also noted the similarity in the positions adopted by the Russian, South Ossetian and Abkhaz sides on Georgia?s NATO membership and conflict resolution, claiming they ?were completely identical.?
This statement came after Mikheil Kaminin, spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on April 24 that Tbilisi?s support for the ?puppet governments? in Abkhazia and South Ossetia was incompatible with its declared intention of holding direct talks with Sokhumi and Tskhinvali.
Kaminin also said that by supporting the alternative governments and seeking NATO entry, ?the Georgian leadership may undermine the negotiating process and even the very principle of territorial integrity.?
?The Georgian side once again stresses that all its initiatives are aimed at achieving a comprehensive political resolution of the conflicts and making use, as fully as possible, of all peace resources available to reach this goal,? the statement reads.
The Georgian side, according to the statement, has many times expressed its readiness to hold constructive dialogue with all political forces in the South Ossetian conflict zone, including Tbilisi-loyal Dimitri Sanakoev?s administration.
?Even though the existing negotiation format has proved its ineffectiveness over many years, for the sake of constructive dialogue and in order to avoid any break in the negotiation process, the Georgian side is willing to cooperate within the framework of this format,? the statement reads.
?As for Georgia?s aspirations for NATO membership, which are based on the geopolitical interests of the country, Russia’s reference to it in the context of conflict resolution is an attempt to maintain the status quo in the Tskhinvali region, impede the peaceful settlement of the conflict and create obstacles for Georgia, as a sovereign country, in making a free choice of its own,? the statement reads.
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