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Georgia wants ties with Russia restored- Poll
June 28, 2013, 8:52 am

[AP]

Sixty seven per cent said they wanted their country to join the European Union [AP]

Eighty two per cent of Georgians spoke in favour of restoring relations with Russia, while 11 per cent said relations should be reinstated partly, a poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) said on Friday.

Russia and Georgia severed diplomatic ties after Moscow recognised de-facto independent Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states following a brief military conflict.

Georgia’s new government, elected in October polls, said normalising ties with Russia was among its top priorities.

Moscow recently lifted its ban on sales of Georgian wine and mineral waters in Russia.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he supports restoring “full-scale relations”.

However, 57 per cent out of 4,000 polled people said they viewed Russia as an economic and political threat for Georgia.

Little over 60 per cent of the polled spoke in favour of Georgia’s membership in NATO, while 67 per cent said they wanted their country to join the European Union.

Source: Agencies