One of Georgian President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili's top policy priorities is stabilizing Tbilisi's often troubled relationship with Russia. Saakashvili, who remains committed to promoting Georgia's integration into Western security and economic structures, at the same time has promised that ties between Tbilisi and Moscow will move to a "new level." The president-elect went on to tell the semi-official Russian RIA news agency on January 5 that "military cooperation with Russia, including regional security cooperation, is highly promising."

The detente process began even before the January 4 presidential election, with interim President Nino Burjanadze's trip to Moscow for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Georgia's Interim Foreign Minister Tedo Japaridze accompanied Burjanadze during the late December visit. Just before the presidential vote he sat down with EurasiaNet contributor Giga Chikhladze to discuss the prospects for improved Georgian-Russian ties.

Japaridze stressed that both Georgian and Russian leaders needed to take a fresh look at bilateral relations. He added that it was in Russia's national interest to foster stability in Georgia. The full text of his comments follows:

EurasiaNet: There is much talk these days about a thaw in Georgian-Russian relations. We have heard such talk from both sides before, but no real improvements ensued. Could this pattern repeat itself?
Japaridze: Georgian-Russian relations need to be revised, as at the moment they are unacceptable for both sides. After the November events in Georgia, [for background see the Eurasia Insight archive] this difficult relationship could have even created a vacuum. The purpose of our last visit to Moscow was to start a new dialogue.

[Russian Defense Minister] Sergei Ivanov is a very important person in Russian politics, and he is a well informed person. ... Ivanov has turned out to be a nice and intelligent interlocutor -- though a very, very hard one. However, the purpose of diplomacy is to continue a dialogue under any circumstances.

To my mind, one should admit the mistakes that have been made by both sides. Take, for example, the case with the visit of Berezovsky to Tbilisi. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Georgian border guards recognized that they made a certain blunder. As for the visas, we have admitted that they were really granted, and we informed our Russian colleagues about it.

EurasiaNet: In the past, you have talked about Russia's imperial ambitions and the illusions of the Russian political elite. Are Russian leaders capable of shifting their attitudes towards Georgia?
Japaridze: There are some people who make too much of such ideas. But for now I would like to take a more critical stand towards myself and towards Georgia. Russia, as well as Georgia, has to understand the principal elements of our relationship.