Russian recognition of independent Abkhazia, South Ossetia irreversible - Lavrov
MOSCOW. April 11 (Interfax) - Russia welcomes the pragmatic attitude of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's Cabinet to Russia-Georgia relations but its decision to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia cannot be revised, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the RTVI channel.
"The pragmatism of the B. Ivanishvili Government in our relations appeals to us. We are ready to supplement broader trade [especially as we agreed on the Russian entry into the WTO that created additional prerequisites for more active trade even in the legal respect], as we had through all those years, for cultural, humanitarian and sport contacts," Lavrov said.
Yet he recalled that the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict of 2008 and later statements of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili "brought us to the conclusion there was no other way but the recognition of independence for the sake of security and survival of those peoples, in our opinion."
"No matter what one may think. Also I do not expect the appearance in the foreseeable future of a Georgian politician to say: "This is it, we will put it behind us, we were wrong." There will be no Russian politician to say this either, "Let us go back to where we started." This cannot happen. Whenever the Americans offer us to declare respect for the pre-August 2008 borders in the context of limitation or control of conventional armaments in Europe, we say they may disagree but that was the decision of the Russian president and the Russian administration," the Russian foreign minister stressed.
"Speaking of the new government in Georgia, we did not bring it to power. We tried to make no comment on what was going on in Georgian domestic politics. The people of Georgia made the choice. We respect that choice. We are glad that the government wants to find pragmatic solutions to the problems in our relations: restoration of trade in agricultural products and beverages. By the way, energy cooperation never stopped. I mean gas, power grids, Russian capital and Russian companies," Lavrov said.
"I can only welcome that because the people must remember how they lived together and were friends. I think this friendship still exists although it is taking a very serious test now," he added.