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The two Presidents discussed ways to rebuild and develop relations between Russia and Georgia.

Following the talks, Mr Putin said at a press conference that he and the Georgian President spoke about the problems that Russian-Georgian relations have encountered and discussed not only how to rebuild but also how to develop bilateral ties.

The President said that both he and Mr Saakashvili think that political relations between the two countries have not been developing normally and that the two sides will have to look for ways to settle this situation. Many problems have arisen out of a lack of contact and understanding, but both countries wish to find a way forward, Mr Putin said.

Regarding the issues of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, also discussed at the talks, Mr Putin said that these are complicated problems but that conflicts cannot be settled using a knife and razor and what is needed is patience and the willingness to look for a compromise so that people would want to live together, and to do this bridges must be built not just between Russia and Georgia, but also between the peoples of South Ossetia and Georgia. Regarding the issue of protecting territorial integrity, Russia’s position is based on international law and peoples’ interests, Mr Putin said.

Concerning the import of Georgian wine to Russia, Mr Putin said that Russia is interested in importing quality products and thanked Mr Saakashvili for bringing order to this area. The President noted that 60 percent of the wines that were coming into Russia were not the genuine products.

Asked about the possibility of visiting Georgia, Mr Putin said that the dates for a visit would be agreed through foreign ministry channels.