Putin urges Georgia to restore traditional relations with Russia

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Putin urges Georgia to restore traditional relations with Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Monday the future Georgian leadership to restore the country's traditional relations with Russia.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Monday the future Georgian leadership to restore the country's traditional relations with Russia.

Russia calls on "the future legitimately elected Georgian administration to do everything possible to revive the traditions of friendship between our countries," Putin told a cabinet meeting,the footage of which was aired by the state television channel "Rossia".

Russia has traditionally enjoyed many centuries of brotherly relations with Georgia, Putin said.

Putin made the statement following the dramatic change of powerin the ex-Soviet republic amid three-week-long nationwide protestsorganized by the opposition over the allegedly rigged Nov.2 parliament elections.

Because of mediating efforts made by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov under Putin's instruction, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze announced Sunday night his resignation.

Nino Burdzhanadze, speaker of the parliament and an opposition party leader, became the acting president of the Caucasus state inline with the country's constitution.

She may serve as the interim president for 45 days until the pre-term presidential election.

Putin expressed concern over the change of power in Georgia, which took place "against the background of strong pressure."

"Those who are organizing and encouraging these actions take onresponsibility before the Georgian people," Putin said.

"It is obvious that Shevardnadze was never a dictator," he noted.

He described the change of power in Georgia as "a natural result" of a number of systemic mistakes in the internal, externaland economic policies of the nation by the country's former administration.

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