Georgia was never interested in bad relations with Russia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said it was never in Georgia's interest "to have bad relations with Russia."



"When Russian politicians say: 'we will not talk with these authorities of Georgia' - some in Georgia may ask a question: 'OK they won't talk with these authorities and may be it would better if these authorities go?' I want to remind you that they [Russians] disliked even more [Zviad] Gamsakhurdia [the late Georgian President] and disliked even more [ex-president Eduard] Shevardnadze. And if it is up to them to decide who should be in the Georgian government, I want to remind you that the last time when it was decided by Russia it was in the past, when the Georgian state did not exist and when Georgia was called Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia," Saakashvili said.



"When Russian politicians say: 'we want to have good relations with Georgia' - I want to tell everyone who wants to believe it, to look thoroughly to maps which are being printed today in Russia. When they say: 'we want good relations with Georgia' - under Georgia they mean: Tbilisi, part of Kartli region; Kakheti; part of Imereti and maybe Racha-Lechkhumi as well. For them Georgia is not the same Georgia as it is for us and for rest of the world."



As long as such stance persists in Russia, he continued, Georgia should be "extremely cautious" and should show "maximum restraint."



"Our major goal is calmness and development," Saakashvili said, Civil.ge reports.