Federation Council Speaker to meet head of Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi

Sergei Mironov, Speaker of the Russian Federation Council, told RIA Novosti on Monday that he would meet with Head of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burdzhanadze as well as with Heads of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Parliaments in Tbilisi on October 11-12.

According to Mr. Mironov, issues concerning relationship between Russia and Georgia will be discussed during the meeting.

The Federation Council Speaker reminded those present that the Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament directly worked with its Georgian colleagues and kept in touch with them closely. Sergei Mironov speaks to Nino Burdzhanadze by a phone hotline regularly. The decision to establish this line was taken in March 2002.

When answering the questions of RIA Novosti, Mr. Mironov said that the Russian Federation Council did not expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to turn to the Federation Council to ask for permission to conduct a military operation on Georgian territory. "We are not speaking about a large-scale military operation," stressed Mr. Mironov.

However, the Speaker emphasized that the Upper Chamber did not think it was necessary to make any statements during the plenary session of the Chamber as, for instance, the Lower Chamber had done. "We work directly with the Georgian Parliament," Sergei Mironov said. He also added that the Upper Chamber "had engaged in the process in order to normalize Russian-Georgian relationship".

Mr. Mironov reminded those present that Russia expected Georgia to take adequate anti-terrorist steps. One of these steps that would be welcomed in Russia is extradition of Chechen terrorists detained on Georgian territory. "The Georgian party does have evidence of their guilt and if Georgia extradites the terrorists that will mean that the country is ready and eager to cooperate with the Russian Federation."