Medvedev on Georgia

Speaking to the press just days before the two-year anniversary of the South Ossetia War, Medvedev blamed the unimproved relations between the two countries on Georgia’s leadership. Russia’s news agency reports:

“Russia is not guilty of that diplomatic relations with Georgia have been wrecked. The leadership of Georgia and President (Mikhail) Saakashvili is responsible for what has happened, including for destroying political relations,” Medvedev told journalists after the talks with South African President Jacob Zuma.

“Normal relations cannot be with Georgia under the present rule,” the Russian leader said.

“But this does not mean that relations cannot be restored when another leader will take the helm of Georgia,” he said.


Meanwhile Gregory Karasin, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, called foran international embargo on supplying arms to Georgia. Fom Eurasia Review:

“Itcan be said today, that many of those, who were active supplies of armsto Georgia in the past, have analyzed policy of the current leadershipin Tbilisi and reconsidered their approach,” Karasin said in theinterview published on August 4.

“But the problem is still too far from being resolved,” he added.

Hesaid that some “patrons of ‘Georgian democracy'” were still trying tore-arm Georgia “under the various pretexts and to engage them invarious international operations.”

“So we continue insisting onimposing broad international embargo on supply of, first and foremost,offensive weapons and military equipment. Such a measure wouldsignificantly reduce threat of recurrence of Georgian aggression,”Karasin said.