TBILISI, October 28 (Itar-Tass) - For meetings between the top officials of Georgia and Russia “proper grounds should be prepared,” Georgy Margvelashvili, who won a victory at the presidential elections in Georgia on Sunday, said in a statement on Monday.
“In virtue of the importance of the question it is senseless to hold such meetings for the sake of meeting. The background and context should be prepared for such meeting,” Margvelashvili, 44, said live on the Tbilisi TV channel Imedi. “It is important to prepare grounds for this meeting so that it will promote a difficult process of improving Georgian-Russian relations,” he said.
He said earlier on Monday that “Georgia will do its best to alleviate tension in the relations with Russia.” Georgia “will continue a correct and consistent policy for the improvement of the relations with Russia and will show maximum constructiveness in this process,” Margvelashvili said. “For the past year after the parliamentary elections on October 1, 2012, the new government has taken first successful steps to improve the relations with Russia, particularly, restore and develop trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian relations,” he said.
According to the CEC preliminary results, Margvelashvili has gained 62.11 percent of votes. Representative of the party United National Movement David Bakradze (21.73 percent) came second, leader of the party Democratic Movement - United Georgia Nino Burdzhanadze (10.18 percent) has got the third place in the presidential race.