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Russian ambassador worried by growing anti-Russian sentiments in georgian politics
Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vyacheslav Kovalenko has expressed concerns over what he described as growing anti-Russian sentiments in the Georgian political environment.
"I am really alarmed by the fact that the anti-Russian theme is becoming predominant in Georgia's foreign policy," Kovalenko said in an interview with Interfax on Thursday.
"This will do nothing good," he said.
"Groundless accusations and statements by a number of Georgian politicians are having a negative effect not only on bilateral Russian-Georgian relations but also on the problem of the settlement of regional conflicts," Kovalenko said.
Speaking about Georgia’s decision to expel three Russian diplomats, Kovalenko described it as unprecedented.
"This is an unprecedented provocation, when three of our diplomats are expelled from Georgia," Kovalenko said in a telephone interview with Interfax on Thursday.
"Allegations that Russian diplomats were involved in the opposition protest action could have been born only from an unsound mind," Kovalenko said.
"There is no evidence" to accuse Russian diplomats, he said.
Kovalenko says he has no doubt Russia will "take adequate measures" in reaction to the expulsion of its diplomats from Georgia.
"It is not today or yesterday that the anti-Russian campaign has been unleashed in Georgia. The Georgian side had no grounds for this," the diplomat said.
"It is well-known that the opposition that organizes mass protest actions spent the previous day and night in Washington in consultations on a large number of issues. And it is simply ridiculous to speak today about 'Moscow's arm' in the organization of anti-government actions, and about Russia's leading role in opposition protests, whose actions are simply laden with anti-Russian rhetoric," the ambassador said.
"The image that Russia is an enemy" is being created in Georgia, he said. "Now many Georgian politicians try to blame Russia for the domestic problems. This is not the best way to revitalize Russian-Georgian bilateral relations," Kovalenko said.
"The situation that is taking shape now does not help create a favorable climate for a constructive dialogue on settling regional conflicts," he said.
To arrange successful dialogue, "it is necessary to start with resolving problems on which agreement could be achieved relatively easily," Kovalenko said.
He described as "a good sign" a recent meeting in Tbilisi of the Joint Control Commission for the settlement of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
"It is necessary to move further toward resolving more complicated issues. This is the only right way. As for attempts to set up some parallel bodies or entertain ideas to resolve the problem through the use of force, this is a way to deadlock," he said.
As for possible attempts to resolve the South Ossetia and Abkhazia problems with force against the background of the destabilization of the sociopolitical situation in the country, Kovalenko said that this theory is being discussed in Georgian political circles. "There is a lot of talk on this issue," he said.
Kovalenko described such a scenario as "extremely undesirable."
"Everything possible should be done to avoid bloodshed, and in case of a military operation, there is going to be a lot of bloodshed," he said.
Military operations in Abkhazia and South Ossetia "will create a new heap of problems," he said.
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