CIS

Home page

CIS

Russia offers to restore diplomatic ties with Georgia

02 March 2012 19:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Moscow offers to restore diplomatic ties with Georgia and to scrap visa requirements for Georgian citizens, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"We are adherent to the strengthening of relations between the people of Russia and Georgia. We are ready for visa-free travel on reciprocal terms," he was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

He said the visa-free travel will require Georgia to meet legal conditions to guarantee security of Russians visiting Georgia.

"We also propose to restore bilateral diplomatic relations," he said.

Moscow is waiting for the Tbilisi reaction to the proposals, he added.

Russia’s proposal comes after Georgia’s decision on Thursday to drop its visa requirements for Russian citizens.

Moscow and Tbilisi have been at odds over status of Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moscow recognized their independence in August 2008 following a brief armed conflict with Georgia.

In response, Georgia severed its diplomatic relations with Russia after the conflict.

Russian Prime Minister and presidential hopeful Vladimir Putin said last month that Russia hopes its relations with Georgian people would be normalized