TBILISI. Oct 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze described his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the main event of the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
This meeting "marked a turning point in Georgian-Russian relations and created conditions for putting them on a matter-of- fact basis," Shevardnadze said.
"Georgia has assumed obligations in line with Russia's reasonable requests and in line with Georgia's interests," he said, adding that these obligations concern the protection of the border.
"Georgia is interested in protecting the border between the two countries, especially its Chechen, Ingush and partly Dagestani stretches," he continued.
He announced that according to his agreement with Putin, these stretches of the border will be jointly patrolled by Georgian and Russian border guards.
He said that the Russian and Georgian special services reached a cooperation agreement. Georgian State Security Minister Valery Khaburdzania has already arrived in Moscow and, together with Russian colleagues, is drawing up plans to prevent bandits, rebels and criminals from crossing into the Pankisi Gorge.
Shevardnadze announced that he asked Putin to send his representatives to Georgia for talks with Chechen refugees concerning their possible return to Chechnya.
"Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to resume negotiations on drafting a comprehensive treaty between the two countries," he went on to say.
"But there is one condition: Georgia must meet its obligations. Otherwise, a great deal fall into doubt," he said.
He said that "the normalization of Russian-Georgian relations is a very important factor in preserving Georgia's independence."
Shevardnadze quoted Putin as saying that Russia will not apply economic sanctions against Georgia "if both countries are honest to one another."