APRIL 10, 2007
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discusses Georgian-Russian relations
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice spoke on April 10 with visiting journalists at the Edward R. Murrow Journalism Program. This portion of the discussion addressed Georgian-Russian relations.
QUESTION: Hello, I'm Giorgi Sepashvili from Georgia and I represent here a group of journalists from former Soviet states. Some of Russia's neighbors are complaining about what they call it (inaudible) building and mounting pressure on them by Russia. What do you think about it and what is the U.S. position in this regard, where it stands?
And also in this context, what do you think about the role Russia is playing in respect of separatist conflicts in this region? Do you think it is positive role? Thank you.
SECRETARY RICE: Thank you. Well, let me say first that we are going to maintain good and strong and growing relations with states that are now independent states and have a right to their own foreign policy orientation and direction. We have, therefore, very good relations with Georgia and we're going to maintain those very good relations with Georgia. Georgia is an independent state. It can choose its foreign policy direction.
We have been major supporters of good relations with Georgia and Russia because they live next to each other. They should have good relations. Now I think that we've -- our relationship with Russia is essentially a good relationship. We don't agree about everything. We're both very big countries, complicated relations, but we cooperate very well on a whole host of issues.
When it comes to the states that were once a part of the Soviet Union, we have tried to make very clear to Russia that we want them to have good relations with those states, but as independent states, normal political relations with those states; that the days when these states were part of the Soviet Union are gone, they're not coming back. Therefore, the relations ought to be based on trade and economic development and people-to-people contact and cooperation. And we've been strongly supportive of efforts to do that.
We have also been very clear that we expect Russia to have influence with its neighbors -- you always have influence with your neighbors -- but that it ought to take the character of respect for the independence of those states and in the case of Georgia, respect for the territorial integrity of Georgia, which means doing nothing to suggest that the separatist movements in South Ossetia or in Abkhazia have any claim to independence.
And so that is the strategy that we pursue with Russia. It has its ups and downs, but we believe very strongly that a network of strong democratic, independent states that are growing and prospering and therefore, stable are going to be beneficial to Russia, not harmful to Russia. And that is the point that we make all the time. And by the way, the President had a wonderful time in Georgia, a wonderful trip in Georgia, and we even got him -- or you, the Georgians, got him to dance when he was in Georgia, so it was quite a great trip.
Thank you very much and good luck on the rest of your program.
(Applause.)
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