MOSCOW. March 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The methods used to govern Ajaria are outdated, Georgian Minister for Separatist Conflicts Goga Khaindrava told a Wednesday briefing in Moscow.
"The method by which the republic has been governed so far is outdated. This is absolutely clear because a large number of public protests are held against such forms of government," Khaindrava said.
When elections are held for the Georgian parliament "the people will give absolute clear marks to both the central and local authorities," he said.
Georgian Ambassador to Russia Kote Kemularia told the same news conference that there will be no violence in relations between the central and regional authorities. "The Georgian leadership does not have any plans of settling the question by force," he said.
"This does not apply only to Ajaria but to all of Georgia's regions," Khaindrava added.
A large-scale treaty between Russia and Georgia is a key question of improving relations between the two countries, he said. The treaty is almost ready but has remained unsigned as two issues have not been settled, he said.
"One of them was settled when new Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said that there will be no military bases of third countries in Georgia," the minister said. "One small but very important issue remains - the deadline for the withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia," he said. "But now with the appearance of the new leadership and changes in relations between the two countries we hope to settle it easily," he said.