Moscow is ready to go as far as Tbilisi — Galuzin will go

Moscow is ready to normalize relations with Tbilisi, taking into account mutual interests, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.

"We remain ready to go as far as official Tbilisi is ready to normalize relations with Georgia," Galuzin said.

He recalled that the rupture of diplomatic relations between the two countries occurred on the initiative of ex-President Mikhail Saakashvili.

"It was not the Russian side that severed diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia — this was done by the Saakashvili regime, which unleashed an aggressive war against South Ossetia and Russia in August 2008. We remain ready to go as far as official Tbilisi is ready to normalize relations with Georgia… As for Russian-Georgian relations, we have always been committed to their pragmatic development on the basis of mutual benefit and consideration of mutual interests," RIA Novosti quoted Galuzin as saying.

Commenting on the election of Mikhail Kavelashvili as President of Georgia, Galuzin stressed that the Russian side "does not interfere in internal events in Georgia".