Saakashvili "Makes Friends" With Putin During Georgian Leader's Moscow Visit

Georgian-Russian relations have been marked by mutual antagonism for much of the post-Soviet era, as the two countries have bickered over a wide variety of issues. The divisive issues include; a political settlement to the Abkhazia conflict, and Moscow's decision to grant Russian citizenship to large numbers of Abkhaz; Russian continuing military presence in Georgia; and Tbilisi's inability to control its frontier along Russia's renegade province of Chechnya. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Of late, Saakashvili's own recent and rapid rise to power has been seen as cause for concern in Moscow, given the Georgian president's ardent pro-Western views. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

But suspicion and animosity was not on display when Saakashvili was in Moscow February 10-12. Putin expressed a strong desire to settle bilateral differences. "I want to confirm that we feel especially warm towards Georgia and Georgians," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying prior to a February 11 meeting. "Much unites us in the spiritual sphere and in history."

Throughout his series of meetings with top Russian leaders – including Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov -- Saakashvili stressed that the Georgian government wanted stronger economic and political relations with Moscow. Apparently, Saakashvili convinced many Russian leaders that his expressed desire was genuine. He announced that Putin had given his "preliminary consent" to make a state visit to Tbilisi in the autumn, at which time the two leaders would aim to sign a treaty on friendship and cooperation.

"I hope all questions that have been raised between us will be solved – perhaps not immediately, but gradually," the Tbilisi television station Rustavi-2 quoted Saakashvili as saying.

In Moscow, Georgian and Russian officials signed agreements pledging the two countries to enhance media and information exchanges, reactivate a bilateral trade commission, expand discussions on an Abkhazia settlement and explore closer cooperation in the energy sphere. The two countries also agreed on a protocol concerning border cooperation.

Following the talks, Russian officials indicated that a visa regime with Georgia could be reviewed, providing no details. In recent years, Georgia has been the only former Soviet country, outside of the Baltic States, to have a Russian visa requirement. Russia's requirement has been the source of economic disruption for Georgia, given the sizable ethnic Georgian community in Russia.

While embracing conciliatory rhetoric, Saakashvili pressed for a fast Russian withdrawal from its two remaining military bases in Georgia. To reassure his hosts, Saakashvili pledged that the US military would not be permitted to establish a base in Georgia after Russian forces departed. Russian defense officials have held out for a 10-year withdrawal timetable, which is viewed by Tbilisi as excessively long. Prior to Saakashvili's arrival, Russian officials floated the idea that the withdrawal period could be cut down to five years.

Both Georgian and Russian officials indicated that they achieved little progress on the base issue during the Moscow talks. According an Interfax news agency report, Defense Minister Ivanov said the base withdrawal issue did not come up during his discussion with Saakashvili. Meanwhile, the Georgian president told Interfax: "This [base] issue is important to Georgia, but we cannot allow it to darken our relations."

Saakashvili reportedly caught Russian leaders off guard by presenting Moscow with an economic carrot to improve the political relationship. He said his administration would welcome the construction of a Russian-built oil pipeline, parallel to the route taken by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which is still under construction. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. In addition, Saakashvili pledged that Russian oil transit would receive "the most advantageous terms." for Russian oil transit.

Saakashvili's offer may prove to be a hard sell in Moscow. The official Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper commented February 12 that it would be easier for Russia to build an underwater pipeline across the Black Sea, or funnel oil through Romania and Bulgaria, "instead of entrusting its strategic resource to conflict-prone and still unfriendly" Georgia.

As underscored by the Rossiiskaya Gazeta commentary, a significant sector of Russia's policy-making community remains skeptical that Saakashvili is truly desires a close Georgian-Russian relationship. Nevertheless, there are indications that Moscow, while clearly expecting contentious negotiations down the road, sees Saakashvili as a far better negotiating partner than his predecessor Eduard Shevardnadze. Many in Moscow loathe Shevardnadze for his role in the collapse of the Soviet Union, and considered him unreliable in his handling of Russian-Georgian differences. In Saakashvili, Russia sees "a politician who has taken responsibility for what happens in Georgia," Sergei Prikhodko, the deputy head of Putin's administration, told Itar-Tass.