TBILISI. Nov 29 (Interfax) - The Georgian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, says he believes that whether progress will be made in Georgian-Russian relations depends more on Moscow than on Tbilisi, adding that he sees no readiness to take concrete steps on the part of Russia.
"What progress can be made in Georgian-Russian relations depends to a greater extent on Moscow," Abashidze told reporters on Thursday, commenting on Russian politicians' remarks that it may be possible to restore dialogue between Moscow and Tbilisi now that independent candidate Salome Zourabichvili, backed by the ruling party Georgian Dream, has been elected Georgia's new president.
It also depends on the degree to which Russia is ready to take concrete steps to resolve problems related to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Abashidze said.
"Unfortunately, we don't see any such readiness on the part of Russia," he said.
Russia's steps in those republics, including "growing militarization, violations of human rights, and violations of Georgia's territorial integrity and international law indicate that Moscow is not ready for constructive dialogue on these crucial issues," Abashidze said.