Russia Ready To Help Georgia Cope With Economic Woes

The president of Georgia can hope for "full support" from the Russian leadership in overcoming economic hardships, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in the Kremlin with his Georgian opposite number Eduard Shevardnadze. The Russian president said that Russia "with great alarm followed the recent foreign policy developments in Georgia". Putin stressed that "thanks to his experience" Shevardnadze "has managed to keep the country from falling into the abyss of political confrontation: the situation is kept in hand". The Russian president also said that he is ready at today's meeting to discuss all questions of economic interaction. He also proposed to discuss matters of cooperation in the sphere of security and the Georgian president's initiative on a full-scale bilateral treaty. Putin one more time thanked the Georgian president for coming to Moscow for the summit meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Putin stressed that he "sincerely gives his due to the statesmanship" of Eduard Shevardnadze.