Medvedev’s remarks anger Tbilisi

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks on Russian-Georgian relationship have added to the long-standing tensions between the two countries.

In a speech that was given at a meeting with representatives of business and scientific and public circles in the Stanford University on Thursday, Medvedev said that he wants to restore relations with Georgia, but only after his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Saakashvili leaves office.

“As soon as Georgia gets a new leader we will have every opportunity to restore ties,” RIA Novosti website quoted Medvedev as saying.

He described the current relations between the two neighbors as “dramatically poor.”

The speech has been met with anger in Tbilisi. In response to Medvedev’s remarks, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said that Russia’s problem is not with Georgia’s president but with Georgia as an independent country.

“Russia has failed to find a Georgian government acceptable since we became independent in 1991,” said Vashadze.