Putin pledges Russian efforts for Georgian territorial integrity

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 28, 2004

Putin pledges Russian efforts for Georgian territorial integrity

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday in the Black Sea city of Sochi that Russia would do all it could to help Georgia maintain territorial integrity.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday in the Black Sea city of Sochi that Russia would do all it could to help Georgia maintain territorial integrity.

Adzharia is part of Georgia and relations between the Georgian central government and Adzharia are Georgia's internal affairs, Putin said, referring to a pro-Russia republic in southwest Georgia.

Russia will not interfere in Georgia's internal affairs, Putin was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

Russia hopes that disputes between Georgia's central government and Adzharia can be resolved peacefully, Putin said.

Adzharia has been pursuing economic autonomy. The independent-minded regional government refused to recognize the regime of President Mikhail Saakashvili who was elected in January.

Putin also said employing military means to solve the Abkhazia issue is a dead-end approach and will only widen the rift between the central government and the Abkhazia republic.

Abkhazia unilaterally declared independence in July 1992, triggering a large-scale two-year conflict with the Georgian central government. Despite mediation by the United Nations and the international community, Abkhazia has refused to start peace negotiations with the Georgian government.

Speaking on Russian-Georgian ties, Putin said Georgian President Saakashvili has made some far-sighted proposals on improving bilateral ties, such as co-patroling of borders by the two countries' armies.

Such proposals, if put into action, will bring relations between Russia and Georgia up to a new level, the Russian president added.

Ties between Russia and Georgia have not gone smoothly in recent years, but since Saakashvili took office, leaders of both countries have vowed efforts to solve the disputes between the two sides.

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