TBILISI. July 12 (Interfax) - Georgia's policy toward integration into Euro-Atlantic space remains unchanged and has no alternative, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said at an international conference in Batumi on Friday.
"The Georgian people realize perfectly that integration with the West is the one and only way to build democracy in Georgia. It is a historic choice of our people. It does not belong to any particular generation or a political force," he said.
The territorial integrity of Georgia which has been violated is a "challenge facing the entire region," the prime minister said.
"First and foremost, I would like to thank our Western partners for their firm and consistent recognition of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The European Union co-chairs the Geneva negotiations together with the U.S. and the OSCE. European observers have been sent to Georgia. But in parallel with the policy of integration with the West, we have come up with an initiative to start direct dialogue with Russia. A number of pragmatic steps have already been taken to normalize trade, economic and cultural ties, although it in no way means that we will be able to settle the conflict with Russia in the bilateral format," Ivanishvili said.
"No one should have the impression that Georgia is starting to resolve the conflict on its own and does not need the assistance of its Western partners," he said.
"I would like to stress that the Geneva negotiations offer an important format for dialogue with Russia aimed at settling the conflict, and we will stay committed to this process," Ivanishvili said.