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TBILISI: Okruashvili Speaks Of Russia, Wine, Conflicts

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  • TBILISI: Okruashvili Speaks Of Russia, Wine, Conflicts

    OKRUASHVILI SPEAKS OF RUSSIA, WINE, CONFLICTS

    Civil Georgia, Georgia
    May 2 2006

    Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili has further stepped up
    harsh-worded rhetoric against Russia and vowed to resign if Georgia
    fails to restore control over breakaway South Ossetia by January
    1, 2007.

    At a political talk show aired by Imedi television on May 1 Okruashvili
    spoke about relations with Russia and said while answering question
    why Georgia remains in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
    against the background of deteriorating ties with Russia that he will
    respond to this question "in exactly one week." He declined to make
    more comments on the issue.

    Dubbed as hawkish Defense Minister by the opponents and media,
    33-year-old Irakli Okruashvili has increased his political weight after
    the President charged him to promote Georgian wine on new markets,
    observers say.

    This new task has also triggered rumors that Okruashvili may be
    promoted at the Prime Minister's position. But Okruashvili has strongly
    denied these speculations.

    "My major goal, my purpose of being the Defense Minister, is
    restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity. I have no other goal
    more valuable than this and as soon as these two problems [the Abkhaz
    and South Ossetian conflicts] are solved, I will no longer stay in
    politics," Okruashvili said while speaking on the political talk show
    'Pirvelebi' (Leaders).

    Okruashvili reiterated his late December statement and said that
    Georgia will gain control over breakaway South Ossetia by January
    1, 2007.

    "If we fail to celebrate New Year in Tskhinvali on January, 2007 I
    will no longer be the Defense Minister of Georgia," Okruashvili said.

    He said that the conflict in South Ossetia will be resolved through
    peaceful means with the support of Georgia's western partners.

    "In a course of this year several very important events are scheduled;
    these are: G8 summit, NATO summit in November and we will spare no
    efforts to solve this problem through peaceful means with the help
    of our friends, our partners and especially with the support of the
    United States," Okruashvili said.

    After Okruashvili's highly-controversial and harsh statements
    towards Russia - like "even feces can be sold on Russian market" -
    his opponents dubbed Okruashvili as "provoker."

    This statement has also triggered discontent among some Georgian
    wine-producers, who are desperately trying to re-enter Russian market,
    which was closed on March 27 after the Russian chief sanitary inspector
    said Georgian wines contained pesticides.

    But Okruashvili, who has just recently visited Ukraine in a capacity
    of the Georgian wine promoter, says that the Georgian wine-makers
    should forget about the Russian market and diversify foreign trade
    to the western markets.

    He said once again that the Russia is "low level consumer market" and
    many Georgian wine companies should increase quality of their products.

    Okruashvili admitted that his statements towards Russia are very
    harsh-worded, "but this is the only language which is understood
    by Russia."

    "Of course we should not talk like this not only with Russia, but
    with anyone. But, unfortunately, this is the only language which is
    understood by Russia, this is the only effective language on which we
    can talk with Russia. I have learnt this from my two, or three years
    of experience of having relations with them," the Georgian Defense
    Minister stated.

    Okruashvili also admitted that one of the purposes of his controversial
    statements was to trigger more international interest towards the
    Georgia's wine row with Russia.

    "My statements about Russia and stir-up about this issue was caused
    by an attempt to achieve a certain international effect. Now the
    international community knows that this is a confrontation between
    Georgia and Russia because someone among the Russian authorities
    does not like the fact that Georgia has a significant increase in
    economic growth rate... and they do not like that they have failed
    to decrease this figure [growing economy] through imposing energy
    blockade [referring to explosions of gas pipelines this January]
    and through increase of gas price," Okruashvili said.

    He also accused Russian special services of masterminding provocations
    in Georgia's predominantly ethnic Armenian populated town of
    Akhalkalaki in order to hinder Russian military base withdrawal
    from there.

    "A large rally is planned in Akhalkalaki on May 3 in an attempt to
    hinder first stage of Russian military base withdrawal from there
    and organizers of this [rally] are employees of the FSB [Russia's
    Federal Security Service]," Okruashvili said.

    A small rally was held in the predominantly ethnic Armenian populated
    town of Akhalkalaki on April 25 to protest against withdrawal of
    Russian military base. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on April 26
    that pullout of military hardware from the base was hindered because
    of this protest rally.
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