Georgian official hints to meeting with Putin

/AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

A meeting between the Georgian government representatives and Russian President Vladimir Putin is possible. However, it needs a serious and detailed preparation, according to Zurab Abashidze, Georgian Prime Minister's Special Representative on Russia.

Putin has recently said the Russian authorities would be glad to see any representative from the Georgian government in Moscow.

Georgia's relations with Russia have recently escalated to reach its climax after the official agreement, which signed on November 24 to seal the breakaway Abkhazia's approximation to Russia. The Georgian authorities have immediately denounced the accord, vowing to do utmost to eradicate that document.

The relations between Georgia and Russia pushed all limits when Georgian troops launched military operations to retake the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions on August 8, 2008. Russian armed forces entered the regions to stop the military attacks by Georgian troops. After four days of tense fighting, Georgian forces were expelled from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia carried out massive air strikes on the military and logistical targets inside Georgia, particularly in Gori city. Both sides agreed to a ceasefire on August 12. Russia is currently dominating the collective peacekeeping missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia and Russia are trying to come to a conclusion on the conflicted issues through the Geneva talks that began after the August war in 2008. The talks are co-chaired by representatives from the EU, UN and OSCE. Despite numerous meetings between the special envoys of the two countries, no tangible result has been reached so far.