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Russia moots possible mediation in Georgia
Moscow, Nov 16: Russia has said it might take part in mediation efforts to help defuse the crisis in neighbouring Georgia where thousands of protesters are demanding veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze step down.
Moscow, Nov 16: Russia has said it might take part in
mediation efforts to help defuse the crisis in neighbouring Georgia
where thousands of protesters are demanding veteran leader Eduard
Shevardnadze step down.
Stressing the idea was still in its infancy, Valery Loshchinin, a
Deputy Foreign Minister, told a news conference yesterday that
Russia was considering joining Azerbaijan and Armenia in political
moves to help end the crisis.
''The idea is that democratic forces (in Georgia) should listen to the voice of their nearest neighbours. And their worries and concern about what is happening in Georgia,'' he said.
He added that any mediation effort would require the formal agreement of the four powers concerned.
Loshchinin spoke alongside Aslan Abashidze, a Georgian regional leader who on Friday met Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and earlier had contacts with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the crisis.
Loshchinin said Russia could not be ''indifferent'' to what was happening in former Soviet Georgia, confirming that Moscow was fearful the trouble on its southern border could ignite unrest in the whole, volatile southern Caucasus region.
The West is watching with equal concern since western companies are building a pipeline to take Caspian Sea oil to the Mediterranean Coast.
Abashidze, a longstanding political rival of Shevardnadze who is seeking to drum up support for him in the bloc of former Soviet countries, discounted the use of force in any mediation mission.
He said Georgia and its neighbours had a whole range of ''political levers'' to use to help solve the crisis.
But he suggested Shevardnadze would meet force with force inside the country if the opposition took up arms to oust him.
''If the situation gets out of control and they (the opposition) decide to use force, the leadership of Georgia is obliged to defend the people, the legal authorities and the constitution of Georgia,'' Abashidze said.
Abashidze said opposition protesters were being manipulated by forces inside and outside Georgia who had been paid and specially trained to foment trouble. He did not elaborate.
Bureau Report
''The idea is that democratic forces (in Georgia) should listen to the voice of their nearest neighbours. And their worries and concern about what is happening in Georgia,'' he said.
He added that any mediation effort would require the formal agreement of the four powers concerned.
Loshchinin spoke alongside Aslan Abashidze, a Georgian regional leader who on Friday met Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and earlier had contacts with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the crisis.
Loshchinin said Russia could not be ''indifferent'' to what was happening in former Soviet Georgia, confirming that Moscow was fearful the trouble on its southern border could ignite unrest in the whole, volatile southern Caucasus region.
The West is watching with equal concern since western companies are building a pipeline to take Caspian Sea oil to the Mediterranean Coast.
Abashidze, a longstanding political rival of Shevardnadze who is seeking to drum up support for him in the bloc of former Soviet countries, discounted the use of force in any mediation mission.
He said Georgia and its neighbours had a whole range of ''political levers'' to use to help solve the crisis.
But he suggested Shevardnadze would meet force with force inside the country if the opposition took up arms to oust him.
''If the situation gets out of control and they (the opposition) decide to use force, the leadership of Georgia is obliged to defend the people, the legal authorities and the constitution of Georgia,'' Abashidze said.
Abashidze said opposition protesters were being manipulated by forces inside and outside Georgia who had been paid and specially trained to foment trouble. He did not elaborate.
Bureau Report