Georgian Foreign Ministry says it has no contacts with Kyiv on Saakashvili case

TBILISI. Dec 9 (Interfax) - Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said that there had been no contacts with the Ukrainian foreign ministry regarding the detention of ex-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Kyiv.

"The cooperation of Georgia and Ukraine on this issue [the minister was asked about the possible extradition of Saakashvili to Georgia] is limited by the legal framework. If there are contacts on this issue, they are conducted by the relevant departments," Janelidze told reporters on Saturday.

Earlier, Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani told reporters that the Ministry of Justice and the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine had been ordered to detain and extradite Saakashvili from Kyiv to Tbilisi, where he was charged with several crimes.

Currently, the Tbilisi City Court is considering the case of Saakashvili's excess of authority as the president of Georgia. In particular, it is a question of his order on the early release of four policemen convicted on charges of murdering Bank of Georgia employee Sandro Girgvliani in 2006.

The court also considers criminal cases against Saakashvili in embezzlement of public funds, orders for the violent disrupting of the opposition rally in Tbilisi in 2007 and the seizure of the Imedi TV company building.

Earlier, the Tbilisi City Court ruled on the arrest and pretrial detention of Saakashvili in the event of his appearance on the territory of Georgia.