Former Georgian President Eduard Shivarnadze called “nonsense” rumors saying he handed over power to Mikhail Saakashvili as a result of conspiracy with Armenian lobby in 2003.

“It is nonsense,” he said in an interview with Georgian Asaval-Dasavali newspaper.

He agreed that Georgian resorts are full of “Armenians and Turks”, Georgia Online reported. However, Shivarnadze failed to confirm that Armenian lobby patronizes Mikhail Saakashvili.

“My cooperation with Armenia and Azerbaijan was built on real friendship and good neighborly relations. Heydar Aliyev and Karen Demirchyan [leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Soviet times] were my personal friends,” he emphasized.