Georgia, Tbilisi, May 15 / Trend N. Kirtzkhalia /
The Georgian government has no illusions that the progress in relations with Russia will be reached in the near future, Georgian Prime Minister's special representative on Russia's Affairs Zurab Abashidze reported this after a meeting with members of the PACE Monitoring Committee.
"We discussed Georgian-Russian relations and in particular, the issues of the dialogue initiated by Georgian Prime Minister in December last year," he said. "Our guests were interested in a stage of the process, the further plans and the date of the next meeting."
He added that Europe's assistance to Georgia was discussed at a meeting with members of the PACE Monitoring Committee.
"We believe there is some progress in this issue," he said. "I mean in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian sphere, but there are serious problems. Time will be required to resolve them. I stressed that we have no illusions and exaggerated expectations that progress will be reached in these relations quickly. However, it should be noted that some progress is available."
Large scale military action was launched in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military.
Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. In response, Tbilisi broke diplomatic relations with Moscow and has called the two unrecognised republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories.