YASTRZHEMBSKY WEIGHS IN ON GEORGIA…

The October 9 issue of Gazeta.ru featured written replies by Russian presidential aide and chief spokesman for issues relating to Chechnya Sergei Yastrzhembsky to questions submitted by email by readers. Many of the questions, not surprisingly, concerned Chechnya and the present state of Russian-Georgian relations. “I would like to be able to say,” Yastrzhembsky commented with regard to Russian-Georgian relations, “that an improvement in relations with Georgia took place after the [presidential] meeting in Kishinev [Chisinau]. The word ‘improvement,’ however is a strong one. It should be used to characterize qualitative changes in relations. We advocate such relations, but we would like to ascertain and be convinced that the Georgian leadership, following the meeting in Kishinev, has seriously taken Russia’s concerns to heart and is relating seriously to Russia’s demands directed toward ensuring Russia’s security.”