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New Georgian leadership must launch dialogue with Russia

The 66-year-old politician with a big experience of scientific and diplomatic work said

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

TBILISI, October 12 (Itar-Tass) — The new Georgian leadership must begin a dialogue with Russia, Georgia’s Foreign Minister in 2003-2004 Tedo Japaridze told reporters on Friday. The former foreign minister is now candidate for chairman of the parliamentary committee for international affairs.

The 66-year-old politician with a big experience of scientific and diplomatic work said “we must launch a conversation and a dialogue with the Russian Federation to settle problems existing in relations with Russia.”

According to him, “the start of a dialogue with the Russian Federation does not mean the restoration of diplomatic relations, but it is evident that a conversation and a dialogue with that big country must be launched”.

After the parliamentary election on October 1, the leader of the Georgian Dream coalition and candidate for prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has also stated repeatedly that “normalization of relations with the Russian Federation is one of the main aims of Georgia, although this process will not be an easy one”. “I believe that coincidence of interests on many issues, including on security issues, is possible between Georgia and Russia,” the leader of the victorious coalition said.

Tedo Japaridze graduated from the faculty of Western European languages at Tbilisi State University. He has PhD degree in history. In 1977-1987 he worked at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies in Moscow, in 1990-1992 he was Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, from 1994 to 2001 he was Georgia’s Ambassador to the United States, Mexico and Canada and from December 2003 to March 2004 he led the Foreign Ministry of the country.

This year he took an active part in the work of the Georgian Dream coalition that won the parliamentary election in Georgia on October 1.

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