Shevardnadze being beaten from right and from left

Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze’s active attacks on Russia are more surprising than embittering for Russia. His protection of terrorist Gilaev was regarded by Moscow, to put it mildly, as a dishonorable.

Vladimir Putin, while answering the questions of US journalists, said the Russian Secret Services possess lists of persons going to Turkey through Georgia.

“It is hard to say, - Putin answered, - whether or not persons of the Georgian leadership are seriously implicated in this. However, without any doubt, this happens with the knowledge of the official authorities.” Today, the president stated that we know for sure that many wounded militants are being treated in Georgian hospitals, including the main military hospital of Georgian army in Tbilisi. Therefore, we can suppose that certain circles in Georgia at least help with international terrorists’ activities on Georgian territory. Vladimir Putin was very surprised when he heard from the Georgian president that he did not consider the people to be terrorists who are wanted and are accused of numerous bloody victims. The president is absolutely sure that the issue connected with international terrorists’ presence on Georgian territory could be settled only through cooperation with other countries, and first of all, with Russia.

In this way, Shevardnadze’s position becomes very vulnerable. However, it is not the main trouble for Shevardnadze. The real headache is the new speaker of Georgian parliament Nino Burdzhanadze. She is supposed to be ex-speaker Zurab Zhvania’s ally. Therefore, the Georgian president did not managed to take the parliament under his control; therefore, decreasing the tension between the legislative and executive powers hardly can be expected in the nearest future. The new speaker’s figure seems not to have been gladly accepted by Moscow. Especially after Nino Burdzhanadze announced that Russia had played a decisive role in Georgian-Abkhaz conflict and that Russia should take Georgia into consideration. OK, let it be so, but please, be polite as well.

The reciprocal dig of Moscow did wait long. Soon, Anri Jergenia, prime-minister of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia, arrives in Moscow. He is intending to meet with Russian Foreign Ministry officials, and the question will be about Georgian-Abkhaz regulations. Russia has already declared this meeting not to be something extraordinary, and all the more, the conflicting sides simply must meet with mediating structure, that is to say, with the Russian Foreign Ministry, for their own benefit. What remains for Shevardnadze is to set his hopes upon the diplomatic talent of Adzhar leader Aslan Abashidze, who will be able to find persuasive arguments for Moscow.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/11/13/33746.html