TBILISI. Sept 30 (Interfax) - Georgia has been unable to achieve "any significant progress" in its political relations with Russia after the 2008 war between the two, Georgia's foreign minister said on Friday.
"Trade relations with Russia have improved, Russia has opened up its market for Georgian wine and mineral water. That is a help to the Georgian economy, but, in regards to political aspects, I don't think there has been any significant progress," Irakli Garibashvili said in an interview with Lithuanian television excerpts from which were published in the Georgian media on Friday.
"We are in a particularly difficult situation as 20% of our territory is under foreign occupation, which is very painful for us," he said.
Nevertheless, Georgia has been trying hard to improve its political relations with Russia, according to him.
It has changed its rhetoric and appointed a special representative for talks with Russia, Garibashvili said. He said the representative, Zurab Abashidze, holds regular meetings with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.
In a comment on South Ossetia's current physical demarcation of its border with Georgia, Garibashvili said: "We are one country, and its name is Georgia."
However, Georgia's number one objective is to join NATO and the European Union, the minister said. "In our opinion, our desire to join NATO and the European Union doesn't run against the settlement of our relations with Russia. We can combine these interests. We cannot accept radicalism," he said.
"It's very important for us to have settled relations with neighboring countries, and I don't think there's anything special to it," Garibashvili said.