Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hopes Georgian authorities would eventually be able to stabilize the social and political situation in the republic and eliminate the existing threats to the safety of Russians. If this takes place, necessary conditions will be created for reviewing the possibility of cancelling Russia’s "precautionary measures, including the ban on flights to Georgia," he noted.
"We are looking forward to friendship and cooperation to the benefit of the citizens of Russia and Georgia," the Russian Foreign minister said in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty daily.
Lavrov described the relations between Georgia’s government and the opposition as the country’s domestic affairs, adding that Russia has no plans to interfere into that process.
"However, we cannot help but remain concerned about attempts of several radically minded members of the Georgian political elite to foster Russophobic sentiments and to drive a wedge between our peoples," the Russian top diplomat added.
"Those people hardly reflect about their actions and the damage that they deal to their own country, to the well-being of their people, which to a significant extent depends on the quality of economic and humanitarian ties with Russia," Lavrov stressed.
According to him, Moscow expects the Georgian government to realize the "danger and ineffectiveness of continuing to fuel the anti-Russian hysteria" as soon as possible.
"It is also important that the Tbilis authorities eventually find the strength to condemn the shameful act by a local TV station, which aired assaults aimed at the president of Russia, which caused an outcry in the Georgian society itself," the minister stressed.
The Russian foreign minister is convinced that the people of Georgia do not see Russians as their enemies. "Regretfully, we now see certain politicians from this country trying to excel each other at anti-Russian rhetoric to achieve their selfish, timeserving goals," he said.
At the same time, Russia’s top diplomat expressed confidence that "things will straighten out with time" and neighborly relations between Russia and Georgia will
