ANKARA - Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili said here Thursday that her country's efforts to reconcile with Russia were still at a "very fragile" stage, but hoped the two countries would succeed in resolving their disputes.
Georgia's relations with Russia have come to a "very important turning point," Zurabishvili told reporters here after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
"We have the support of Turkey on the question of the withdrawal of the (Russian) military bases... and we hope that we will make some progress on that question," she said.
The minister explained that she and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov would soon begin talks to resolve bilateral disputes, including Georgia's demands for Moscow to close two bases on its territory.
"It's a very fragile first step," she said. "We need all the help possible in that constructive direction."
The parliament of Georgia, a former Soviet republic, was to vote on Thursday on outlawing Russian military bases on its land unless the two countries can agree on their withdrawal by January 2006.
03/10/2005 11:53 GMT