TBILISI. Dec 20 (Interfax) - Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement on Moscow's willingness to normalize relations with Tbilisi.
"I have a positive opinion of the Russian president's statement regarding the willingness to normalize relations with Russia. It is known that a direct dialogue between Georgia and Russia started last year and has already brought about certain positive results, if only from the viewpoint of restoration of ties in practical sectors," Garibashvili said in a Thursday statement.
The Georgian leadership favors continuation of a dialogue with Russia, so as "to approach the resolution of complicated and delicate problems step by step," he said.
"I think if Russia reviews the current visa regulations for Georgian citizens, on which President Putin commented, this could become a positive step from the viewpoint of promotion of humanitarian relations," he said.
Garibashvili emphasized that attitudes toward Russians in Georgia "have been and are friendly," which is "a good basis for future cooperation."
"As for the tragic events of contemporary history, our position differs from Russia's position concerning their causes and results," Garibashvili said. "The steps that have been made lately in relations between the two countries give grounds for certain optimism," he said.
Putin suggested earlier on Thursday that Russia might switch back to visa-free travel with Georgia.