Saakashvili: Tbilisi Ready to Ease Tensions in ‘Bilateral Format’

President Saakashvili said on October 9 that Georgia wants ?good relations with Russia? and reiterated his readiness to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at any time.

?We want to solve problems with Russia in a bilateral format? We have no dispute with the Russian people,? Saakashvili said while meeting with senior parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party.

But a senior Kremlin official said on October 9 that there is no need to hold top level talks.

Saakashvili also said that the anti-Georgian campaign in Russia is ?a problem for the entire world, but firstly a problem for Russia.?

He said estimates that about 1 million Georgians are residing in Russia is exaggerated. ?There are 250-300 thousand Georgian citizens in Russia,? Saakashvili said.

He said that the rest are Russian citizens of Georgian origins, ?but I am ready to grant all of them the Georgian citizenship and they are welcome to live in Georgia.?

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