Practical consideration of the matter will resume in the nearest future, Mr. Ivanov said to newsmen after the conference, which he described as "confidential and outspoken." "We were discussing bilateral interaction, with defense and security in the foreground. Neither side is implementing its related potential to the full. That was a conclusion we shared." Russia and Georgia are facing the same threats and challenges, pointed out the conferees.
When a reporter asked Mr. Ivanov just when Russia was to pull out its army bases from Georgia, the minister said the matter was out of the conference agenda. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is negotiating on it, and the Defense Ministry will certainly never be the one to have the say-so here.
The two countries' Defense Ministers are resuming partnership after several years' break, said President Saakashvili as he was addressing the media, in his turn. The Georgian Defense Minister was previously prejudiced against his Russian counterpart. "That was where the human factor came in. Now, to buttress contacts with Russia is top priority for any of our functionaries," he stressed.
