A well-known Russian TV host, Ksenia Sobchak, has confirmed to RIA Novosti that she met the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in August.
Russian and Georgian media reported about her visits, despite the lack of diplomatic ties for two years between the two countries. According to the newspaper ‘Alia’, Sobchak was invited to a corporate party in Tbilisi, organized by respected Georgian businessmen. The newspaper reports that she was paid $150,000.
According to the newspaper, Saakashvili met Sobchak in the Black Sea resort of Batumi. Saakashvili entered the Constitutional Court with Sobchak for 15 minutes. Sobchak, Saakashvili and the chairman of the court, Georgiy Papuashvili, were seen behind a round table. Saakashvili’s visit was unexpected.
News Georgia contacted a spokeswoman of the court, Natiya Sirabidze, who denied the visit of Saakashvili and Sobchak.
Georgia broke off diplomatic contacts with Russia for recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia recognized the independence of the two countries after the attack by Georgian forces against Tskhinvali in August 2008. Moscow says that no dialogue is possible with Saakashvili.
