Lavrov on Saakashvili-Medvedev Talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after a meeting between the Russian and Georgian presidents in St. Petersburg on June 6 on the sideline of a CIS summit that Georgia should not try to resolve conflicts through NATO-membership.

He said that the meeting between Mikheil Saakashvili and Dmitry Medvedev was “frank,” “very useful” and “much needed.”

Lavrov said that President Saakashvili prioritized conflict resolution issues. “President Medvedev restated our strong interest in seeing those conflicts resolved,” Lavrov said.

“By the way – at least that is how I understood it – he [Saakashvili] understands that a course towards NATO membership is not the key to conflict resolution,” Lavrov said. “We once again reiterated that it [conflict resolution] could not be achieved through artificially pushing Georgia into NATO, as it will lead to a new coil of confrontation.”

He also said that Georgia should sign a treaty on the non-use of force to help defuse tensions and reiterated Moscow’s position on the necessity of preserving the existing negotiating and peacekeeping mechanisms.
 
“We are ready to continue fulfilling our duties as a facilitator honestly and to do everything necessary in the frames of existing agreements in order to get the sides closer and restore confidence,” Lavrov said.

He also said that Russia’s recent decision to send Railway Forces to Abkhazia to repair the region’s railway infrastructure was discussed at the meeting. Lavrov said that the Russian side had explained that the move was purely humanitarian and had no military purpose, as claimed by Tbilisi.

“It was said by President Medvedev that if there is mutually respectful dialogue and if an already drafted binding agreement on the non-use of force is signed and if the situation around Kodori Gorge is de-escalated it is possible to have the Abkhaz side’s consent to return to a trilateral format to resolve socio-economic issues in Abkhazia, including railway ones,” Lavrov said.

He said that the trilateral format on railway infrastructure rehabilitation was suspended after Georgia deployed troops in upper Kodori Gorge in summer, 2006.

Lavrov also said the April 20 incident involving the downing of a Georgian drone – which UN observers said was shot down by a Russian aircraft – was not discussed during the meeting.

Georgian officials have yet to comment on the presidents’ meeting.

The Georgian and Russian presidents spoke briefly before the press prior to the meeting.

“Yesterday I was in Germany, had talks with German colleagues; they’re worried about Russo-Georgian relations, but I think we ourselves will be able to resolve all issues we face today, overcome difficulties and find long-term solutions [to those problems]. What do you think?” Medvedev asked Saakashvili.

“I absolutely agree with you,” Saakashvili responded. “I am very glad to have this opportunity to come and talk with you face-to-face and I really hope for fruitful and long-term cooperation and the resolution of all painful, pressing issues. I think there are no issues that can not be resolved; there are many unresolved problems, but there are no problems that will be impossible to resolve. Every [problem] can be resolved if there is goodwill and mutual understanding. Russia and Georgia are very close to each other from historic, cultural and people-to-people points of view and today’s situation is artificial and no one can benefit from it. All the issues must be resolved; there are principle issues; accumulated issues, which I hope we will resolve.”

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