‘Concrete Steps Needed to Improve Ties’ – Russian Diplomat

Russia wants to improve relations with Georgia, but first Tbilisi must undertake “concrete steps,” Vyacheslav Kovalenko, the Russian ambassador to Georgia, said on January 9.

Incumbent presidential candidate Mikheil Saakashvili said on January 8 that he hoped dialogue could be resumed with Russia and that both countries could “start relations from a blank page.”

The Russian ambassador, however, said: “We’ve heard many words before and now we want these words to be followed by concrete deeds and concrete proposals.”

“Russia wants to normalize relations with Georgia,” he said. “I want to reiterate that Russia expects Georgia to undertake concrete steps, concrete actions to normalize relations between our countries.”

Last year the Russian diplomat said at least twice publicly that Moscow wanted Georgia to be a neutral state, a condition that collides with Tbilisi’s NATO aspirations.

Ambassador Kovalenko was speaking with journalists on January 9, after meeting with Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili. “This [the Labor Party] is an influential party in Georgia, which has its electorate and it was important for me to hear from Mr. Natelashvili that he is for the normalization of relations between the two countries,” Kovalenko said.

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