Saakashvili on Ties with Russia, U.S., EU

Before meeting with TV journalists late on May 25, President Saakashvili drove Formula 3 on a newly built 4-km highway in Tbilisi center. Photo: InterPressNews

Speaking with journalists on the eve of Independence Day, which will be marked with military parade, Saakashvili said he was on "combative mood."

"Of course I fully realize that 20% of our territory is occupied and that up to 500,000 compatriots are not able to go back to thier homes…  But I also know that Georgia has survived… but we still face huge struggle for unification, for making our achievements irreversible," he said on May 25.

While speaking about relations with Russia, he said time would come when Georgia "becomes desired partner of modernized Russia."

"Sooner or later Russia will follow the path of modernization and it will happen sooner than many can imagine – I am sure about it," he said.

"We should keep following our path of development – economic development, strengthening of our state institutions and of democracy and we should wait for the time, when even more modernized and developed Georgia becomes a desired partner of modernized Russia," he said.

Policy of appeasing and giving up vis-à-vis Russia does not work, he said and added that Moldova had "given everything possible to Russia" but failed to receive anything in return.

"More concessions you make, more it [Russia] wants – that’s the principle based on which the leadership of this country acts," He said. "Show me at least one example when laying down before Russia turned out to be successful… I would have been the first to follow that example."

Saakashvili said that there were some politicians in Georgia who "want to kiss someone’s boot night and day". But he also said: "That’s good that these people exist… Lenin called this kind of people ’useful idiots’. We have our useful idiots."

On Russia he also said that despite attempts, Moscow had failed "to isolate" Georgia internationally.

"Putin once called a Prime Minister of one country and told: ’l will cut relations with you if you appoint that man as Finance Minister, because that’s friend of Saakashvili’. That person was appointed anyway. Putin also told a leader of one of the Arab countries not to meet me. Not only he met me, but also told me that he would visit Georgia ’because we do not obey such a dictate’," Saakashvili said.

Russia had failed to find anyone in Latin America, except of "two psychologically abnormal leaders", who would recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Saakashvili said. Nicaragua and Venezuela followed Russia’s suit in recognition of Georgia’s breakaway regions.

U.S./EU

He also said that that Tbilisi was "not against of the U.S. reset policy with Russia,"  as long as this engagement was based on principles.
 
Saakashvili said that during his lengthy visit to the United States in April, he had once again seen "unconditional and unimaginable" bi-partisan support to Georgia.

"We are now waiting for a very high-level visit from the United States," he said without specifying details.

He also said that Georgia’s relations with EU was also deepening.

"In several days we are signing an agreement on visa facilitation with Europe and we will have visa free regime with Europe in two years and we will have free trade with Europe and there will be more other means for integration into Europe; there is no way back," Saakashvili said.

Policy of appeasing does not work with Russia, President Saakashvili said, who spoke much about foreign policy issues while meeting with a group of journalists from several Georgian TV stations late on May 25.

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