Russia's ambassador to Georgia called on the Caucasus nation on
Wednesday to take measures to improve its relations with Moscow,
which nose-dived after Georgia briefly detained four Russian
officers on spying charges late last year.
Ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko, recalled amid the spying row,
returned to Tbilisi last week.
"Relations between our countries should be based on mutual
respect and fair play. Russia is pursuing exactly this line in its
relations with Georgia," Kovalenko said according to the Interfax
news agency after presenting his credentials to Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili.
What is needed is reciprocal or, better still, "initiative steps
on Tbilisi's part," Kovalenko said. "This is not the case so
far."
Saakashvili said receiving Kovalenko's credentials that Georgia
"will become a reliable friend and partner of Russia, and not only
in bilateral relations but in the world arena and in issues of
regional security," Interfax reported.
"It is difficult to overestimate the importance of relations
with Russia for Georgia. These relations are based on the
traditional historic sympathies of our peoples," he said.
"We hope that as we move to cancel all restrictions introduced
by Russia regarding Georgia, we can begin relations with Russia
with a clean slate," he said.
Moscow cut transport and postal links and stopped issuing entry
vis as to Georgians following the arrest of the Russian officers in
late September.
Ties between Moscow and Tbilisi have been strained by tensions
over Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and
the country's bid to join NATO since Saakashvili came to power in
2003.
(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2007)
