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Burjanadze on Talks with Putin

Nino Burjanadze, ex-parliamentary speaker and leader of Democratic Movement-United Georgia party, said she had decided to meet with Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin, to find out how Moscow views future relations with Georgia.

She said that it was of special importance for Georgia "to know what are the prospects for Georgia-Russian relations."

After meeting with Putin on March 4, Burjanadze told Tbilisi-based Maestro television station by telephone from Moscow, that there was a possibility to start talks with Russia on resolving problems in bilateral relations, "if there is a desire in Georgia to give relations business-like nature, instead of current hysteria."

"Although it is very difficult and it requires years," she said.

She said that during the meeting "a readiness" had been expressed from the Russian side "to have a dialogue and to try to find a solution to any issue, which is a source of concern for the Georgian people."

"It is irresponsible to say – as our government says – that we won’t have talks with Russia unless it withdraws troops from the Georgian territories. If there are no talks, if there is no, at least, minimal mutual trust, the Russian troops will never withdraw from those territories," Burjanadze said.

She said that the Georgian authorities had done nothing in this direction and instead resorted to "military rhetoric, claiming that it has done everything right and that everything is Russia’s fault."

"One party can never be totally right and another totally wrong – and Tagliavini report has also confirmed it… The mistakes have been made by the both sides," Burjanadze said.

"I participated in this meeting not to talk about the past, but to try to find solution for the future. It’s up to historians to talk about the past," she said.

Asked who was an initiator to hold this meeting with Russia’s PM, Burjanadze did not give an explicit answer, only saying that it was "a mutual desire."

"It is natural that the Russian authorities have a desire to talk with the Georgian representatives," she said.

Burjanadze said that after visiting Moscow she would visit Brussels and then travel to the United States. Burjanadze said that she also planned to visit neighboring countries.

She said that unlike ex-PM Zurab Nogaideli’s Movement for Fair Georgia, her party had no plans to sign any cooperation treaty with Russia’s ruling party, United Russia.

"Relations between the political parties can be planned only after Russo-Georgian relations become normal. Now it is not time for inter-party relationships. I arrived here to find out about major directions of the Russian policy," she added.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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