Russian Paper: Tbilisi in Talks to Restore Ties with Moscow

President Saakashvili tries to establish contacts with the Russian authorities through intermediaries, the Russian daily, Kommersant, reported on December 23.

Mikheil Khubutia, the head of the Union of Georgians in Russia, acts as a mediator, who told the Kommersant that he met with President Saakashvili in Munich in November.

“I have talked with President Saakashvili recently,” Khubutia told the newspaper. “I had questions to him about resolving the problem of Georgian refugees, who temporarily reside on the Russian territory and whose visas have expired and who have nowhere to return. We have also discussed resumption of air traffic between Russia and Georgia and restoration of diplomatic ties.”

When asked about the reported meeting between President Saakashvili and Khubutia, an official from the Georgian President’s press office told Civil.Ge: “We do not possess such information.”

Khubutia also told the Kommersant that he had an impression that President Saakashvili was ready for having contacts with Moscow.

“As it seems to me, he is disappointed that Georgia has not been granted NATO Membership Action Plan [MAP] and that he has not received appropriate support from Europe,” Khubutia continued. “His understanding of necessity to have dialogue with Russia has obviously become ripe. Russia should be wiser and help him [Saakashvili]. Work is ongoing.”

Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, said in September: “For us, the present Georgian regime is bankrupt. President Saakashvili no longer exists in our eyes. He is a political corpse.”

Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze, said in early December that it was impossible to restore diplomatic ties with Moscow unless Russia has its embassies in Sokhumi and Tskhinvali. 

Davit Bakradze, the Parliamentary Chairman, said on December 23, that “under current conditions restoration of normal and full-scale ties with Russia will be impossible.” He, however, also added while speaking at the parliamentary session: “Do not be surprised if there will be some contacts on various agency levels.”

Georgia and Russia are engaged in talks in frames of the Geneva process, which is co-mediated by EU, OSCE and UN.

Direct contacts have also taken place between the two countries through mediation of the Georgian Orthodox Church, when Patriarch Ilia II met with Russian Medvedev on December 9 in Moscow. President Saakashvili said that he welcomed the church’s efforts and said the Patriarch conveyed his message to the Russian President.

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