TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia says it is ready for dialogue with Georgia in case someone else than President Saakashvili comes to power.

“We need pragmatic interlocutors, such as Bidzina Ivanishvili and Irakli Alasania, for dialogue with Georgia,” de facto foreign minister Viacheslav Chirykba said in an interview with the magazine Limes.

He added that Abkhzia is ready for dialogue, but not during Saakashvili’s presidency.

It would have been possible to achieve agreement, if there were some other president than Saakashvili, he said.

He characterized billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili as a business minded person and someone who is probably very pragmatic, who would understand what way out is profitable for everyone.

Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Jalaghania was asked about the issue Monday, but refused to comment.