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Georgian leader meets opponents No breakthrough in Georgia talks
(about 5 hours later)
The Georgian President, Mikhail Saakashvili, is holding talks with opposition leaders after weeks of protests calling for his resignation. Talks between President Mikhail Saakashvili and opposition leaders in Georgia have failed to make progress on ending the country's political turmoil.
The meeting represents the first direct talks between Mr Saakashvili and his political opponents since they launched a campaign to oust him on 9 April. Statements from both sides indicated their ideas were completely opposed.
Critics accuse him of bungling the conflict with Russia last August and restricting democratic rights. The opposition has held a month of mass protests in Tbilisi demanding that Mr Saakashvili step down immediately, four years before his term is due to end.
A mutiny at a military base last Tuesday raised fears of further unrest. Critics accuse him of bungling the brief conflict with Russia last August and restricting democratic rights.
Correspondents say opposition parties are divided over what they hope to achieve, with some pushing for reform and others saying only Mr Saakashvili's resignation will satisfy their demands. Street clashes and an abortive army mutiny last week raised fears of wider unrest in Georgia, which is also hosting Nato military exercises.
President 'ready' 'No illusions'
A statement issued on Sunday said Mr Saakashvili was ready to meet with "any political forces" to resolve the stalemate. On Monday, Mr Saakashvili held talks with four members of the opposition coalition - Irakli Alasania, Levan Gachechiladze, Salome Zurabishvili and Kakha Shartava - for the first time since the protests began on 9 April.
Mr Saakashvili, who insists he will not step down before his term ends in 2013, was due to meet four members of the coalition - Irakli Alasania, Levan Gachechiladze, Salome Zurabishvili and Kakha Shartava. Afterwards, the president said that although the meeting had ended without a breakthrough, both sides had agreed to continue the dialogue. The opposition leaders did not say whether they would.
In the end [Mr Saakashvili] saw reality... and realised that silence and ignorance is no longer possible Salome ZurabishviliGeorgian opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili's opponents say he mishandled the war with Russia
Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze, a former ally of the president and now among his fiercest opponents, declined to attend the talks. "We have a completely different view, the opposition and the president," said Mr Gachechiladze, the main opposition candidate in last year's presidential election. "The protests will continue today and tomorrow, and for a long time."
"I am not expecting any results from this meeting," she told Georgian television, adding that the president should resign. Ms Zurabishvili, a former foreign minister, said: "Clearly we don't have the same appreciation of reality. Our visions and our paths do not intersect."
Ms Zurabishvili hailed the forthcoming talks as a success for the opposition. Mr Alasania acknowledged that deep differences remained, but said the meeting represented an important first step.
"In the end [Mr Saakashvili] saw reality... and realised that silence and ignorance is no longer possible," she said. "This is a sign for us that we have been on the right track during the last 30 days." "It was very important to discuss this in person with the president," the former UN envoy added.
Mr Saakashvili also said both sides had "agreed on the fact that it is a step forward, that the dialogue should be continued".
"I have no illusions that we will reach agreement on all issues," he said in a nationally televised address.
Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze, a former ally of the president and now among his fiercest opponents, declined to attend the talks. She earlier repeated her call for the president to resign.
More than 10,000 people attended a protest outside the parliament building in Tbilisi on Saturday, again calling for Mr Saakashvili's resignation. A smaller crowd of around 3,000 gathered on Sunday.More than 10,000 people attended a protest outside the parliament building in Tbilisi on Saturday, again calling for Mr Saakashvili's resignation. A smaller crowd of around 3,000 gathered on Sunday.
The demonstrations have so far been mostly peaceful, although on Wednesday they turned violent when a number of protesters clashed with police outside a police station. Several people were injured.The demonstrations have so far been mostly peaceful, although on Wednesday they turned violent when a number of protesters clashed with police outside a police station. Several people were injured.
Nato exercisesNato exercises
On Tuesday, Mr Saakashvili said his government had put down a brief mutiny at the Mukhrovani tank base outside the capital. Meanwhile Nato military exercises centred around the Vasiani military base outside Tbilisi got under way on Monday.
Several serving and former military officials were at the same time arrested on suspicion of plotting a coup. The rebellion appeared to be "co-ordinated with Russia", the interior ministry said, an allegation that Moscow has vigorously denied. Soldiers from 14 different countries, nine of them Nato members, lined up on the parade ground at Vasiani as a band played the Georgian national anthem.
[The Nato military exercises] cannot be seen as anything other than support for the ruling regime Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin On Sunday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the exercises "cannot be seen as anything other than support for the ruling regime".
The unrest occurred the day before the start of three weeks of Nato military exercises centred around an air base outside Tbilisi.
The command and field exercises, involving more than 1,000 soldiers from 18 countries, are taking place close to areas where Russian troops are stationed in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Russia has described the drills as "an overt provocation", but Nato says they were planned before last summer's conflict, which saw Georgia's attempts to regain control of South Ossetia and its other breakaway region of Abkhazia repelled by Russian forces.
On Sunday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the exercises were a sign of the military alliance's support for Mr Saakashvili.
"Against this background they decided to carry out the war games," Putin said in an interview with Japanese media.
"Of course, this cannot be seen as anything other than support for the ruling regime. And why support such a regime?"
Mr Putin said the manoeuvres represented a "step backwards" in US and Russian efforts to "reset" their relations.Mr Putin said the manoeuvres represented a "step backwards" in US and Russian efforts to "reset" their relations.
A Nato spokesman conceded to the BBC on Monday that relations with Russia were going through a "bumpy period".