After the Revolution

With about 80,000 Georgians protesting elsewhere in the capital, Mikheil Saakashvili was sworn as president on Jan. 20.

Saakashvili said he would strive to strengthen Georgia’s relationship with the West. But he also offered an olive branch to Russia.

Georgia expelled Russian officers from the country in 2006 on charges of espionage. In response, Russia forbade all Georgians from traveling to Russia, a restriction they later eased. 

But Russia continues to ban Georgia’s main exports and has never reestablished any direct modes of transportation between the two countries. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended the ceremony and met with Saakashvili afterward. According to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, ”Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying that Moscow was ‘ready to consider the cancellation of sanctions’ but was ‘counting on reciprocal steps’ from Tbilisi.”