Georgia's desire to join NATO main obstacle to good relations with Russia - Federation Council chair
The new Georgian authorities' desire to join NATO could be a major obstacle to the resumption of the Russian-Georgian dialogue, Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko has said.
NATO's enlargement up to Russia's borders is unacceptable to Moscow, Matviyenko said to journalists on Wednesday.
"This is one of the main problems existing in the Russian-Georgian dialogue, and there should be no hostile attitudes between Russia and Georgia, because this is not in the best interests of either the Russian or the Georgian people," Matviyenko said.
Russia should see that the intentions that were declared following the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia were sincere, she said.
"Russia is prepared to build neighborly relations with all countries based on international law and wants to do so. It is better to maintain dialogue than not to. But there have only been signals from Georgia so far, and it is a question how the new Georgian leadership can put them into practice," she said.
Russia and Georgia are bonded by centuries-long ties of friendship and neighborliness, and there are no obstacles to friendly relations between the two countries, Matviyenko said.
"But our preparedness to develop relations with Georgia should be complemented by practical steps on the part of the new Georgian leadership," she said.