12 May 2014, 00:45
Roundtable: Georgia is under threat of worsened relations with Russia because of situation in Ukraine
On May 8, Tbilisi hosted a roundtable discussion on "Russian-Georgian Normalization: What Will Crisis in Ukraine Bring?" It was attended by about 25 experts from Russia and Georgia; the event was organized by the Russian-Georgian Public Centre.
The speakers at the roundtable have stated that given the decreased mutual trust of the countries and the pro-Western course of Georgia, we can expect further complications of relations with Russia.
"These events cause our concern that after the Ukrainian events, Russia may move to the Caucasus, in particular, to us; because Russia's position is clearly seen: she doesn't want to let away the countries considered to be her neighbours and exclusive space of influence," said Giorgi Gobronidze, a member of the NGO "Institute of Regional Cooperation and Development".
The roundtable also hosted a presentation of the report "Russian-Georgian Relations: Searching for New Ways of Development", drafted under the project of the International Centre on Conflicts and Negotiations (ICCN) "Promoting Russian-Georgian Dialogue" in partnership with the Russian Council on International Affairs (PCIA).
Author: Edita Badasyan Source: CK correspondent
