Tbilisi/Agency Caucasus – ‘s President Mikheil Saakashvili takes a more tolerant approach after his re-election to presidency to the Russian peace forces located both in Abkhazia and
South Ossetia
.
Although Saakashvili said that his administration did not intend to send the Russian peace forces away from the two above-mentioned countries, he re-asserted his proposal to modify the current format of the Russian peace forces. The Parliament of Georgia proposed formerly to remove the Russian peace forces from the two countries. It is also a matter of question whether the administration of can make the Russian peace forces move away from both Abkhazia and
Saakashvili was critical of the Russian peace forces for failing to help Georgian refugees to return home: "When the Russian peace forces first appeared, they promised to assist the Georgian refugees in returning home in one week. There has not been anything done over the past 14 years, however," said Saakashvili.
"If the Russian administration is not able to resolve matters like this unilaterally, it will be necessary to modify and extend the authority. If the Russian administration had been constructive, even foreigners could have been included in this process. We would okay anything, even cooperation with the Russian administration, that would eventually enable the refugees to return home. The significant question is whether we will be able to make the refugees to return home."
The tension between Russia and Georgia was accommodated a little bir when Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov first attended the January 20 swearing-in of Saakashvili and then said that Russia did not promise to recognize either Abkhazia or South Ossetia.
Saakashvili was happy to hear Lavrov’s statements and later said that he would be happier if his country could maintain better relations with . KU/ÖZ/FT
