MOSCOW. Aug 4 (Interfax-AVN) - A swift improvement in Russian-Georgian relations is unlikely, but then, the Georgian factor has no serious impact on relations between Russia and NATO, Russia's NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozin said.
"I have no illusions about the ability of anyone succeeding [Georgian President Mikheil] Saakashvili to change the situation," Rogozin said in an interview with Interfax on Tuesday.
Russian-Georgian relations will not improve in the event of change of authority in Tbilisi, he said, adding, "I don't see any serious prospect in this regard."
Rogozin also said that complex Russian-Georgian relations have no serious impact on Moscow's relations with the Alliance.
"I can't see this. At least, if anyone does address the situation in Georgia, it's Russia. The West zealously bypasses this issue in talks with us on the agenda of Russia-NATO cooperation. It is a sensitive issue for them," Rogozin said.
NATO deems rather useful Saakashvili's efforts to send Georgian servicemen to the troubled regions, where NATO is involved in military operations, Rogozin said. "Therefore, Georgian soldiers will be taken in exchange for carrots, hung in front of Saakashvili's ears, so he will seek and never get them," Rogozin said.
"The West has long decided to give up Saakashvili's services," Rogozin continued. "The problem, however is, that the Georgian opposition, which the West had seriously hoped for, proved either very weak, or excessively radical, "disregarding requests from many of the Western politicians to keep the situation in Georgia within the quiet and peaceful frames," he said.
Therefore, serious people in Brussels and even in Washington just don't want to engage in this business. There is no politician in Georgia so far, who would bring at least a speck more benefits to the West than Saakashvili, and who would be a good replacement for a scrapped Saakashvili," he said.