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Leader’s advisor: Georgia takes interest in visa-free regime with Russia

TBILISI, December 21 (Itar-Tass) - An adviser to Georgian President Vano Machavariani has described as “very important” the fact that “it is Russian President Vladimir Putin who pointed out a new way to normalising the two countries’ relations”.

Commenting on Putin’s statements a day earlier, Machavariani expressed interest in his proposal for a visa-free regime for Georgian citizens.

“This proposal matches the way Georgia’s new authorities feel about the need to straighten out the two countries’ relations,” he said.

On Thursday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili welcomed Putin’s willingness to improve relations with Georgia, saying a revision of the current visa regime would be a significant contribution to the two countries’ humanitarian ties. He confirmed that Georgia had always been and remained friendly towards the Russian people, which, he believes, was a good foundation for cooperation in the future, and the steps the two countries have recently made towards each other “give hope for certain optimism”.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Putin said Russia could renew the visa-free regime with Georgia, given the newly elected Georgian president’s rhetoric but the issue was subject to further consideration by experts.

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