"There is no talk of a Cold War or even more so of a 'hot war,' with Georgia." Mr. Lavrov said. According to him, "Russia has consistently backed the normalization and improvement of the bilateral relations climate with Georgia."
"It is true that in the past few years a lot of problems have appeared in our relations. However, mutual accusations will not help to solve them. It is necessary to search for mutually acceptable agreements that would take into consideration the interests of the two sides, and to work purposefully and constructively," he said.
Mr. Lavrov said Russia is interested in "a stable, friendly, independent and prosperous Georgia."
"The fact that our country, despite all kinds of political changes, leads in Georgia's real economic projects speaks volumes. The participation of Russian business is not only an indicator of confidence but also an instrument of real aid: new jobs are being created, the infrastructure is being restored and, in general, the economy is reviving," Mr. Lavrov said.
"It often happens in inter-state relations that intensification of economic contacts becomes the first sign of progress, politically as well, because business reacts more flexibly and quickly to present-day realities. Let us hope that this is the case," Mr. Lavrov concluded.
