“Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili assured visiting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Alexander Vershbow,” U.S. cable reads.

“Saakashvili predicted that Russia was unlikely to play a helpful role in opening borders in the South Caucasus and would work to prevent the development of relations between Turkey and Armenia and the resolution of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“Saakashvili asserted that the opening of borders in the South Caucasus -- specifically between Armenia and Turkey and any future progress on Nagorno-Karabakh -- was counter to Russia’s interests. Russia did not want to be part of any solution and preferred to keep the South Caucasus dissonant and the region’s borders closed.

“Saakashvili said he believes Russia is counting on the U.S. to back away while Russia juggles the regional issues that matter most to the U.S.: Iran, Turkey and Georgia.”

“Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria noted the appointment of former Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vyacheslav Kovalenko to be Russia’s new Ambassador to Armenia, recalling his reputation as a “disciplinarian” from Moscow would not go unrecognized in Yerevan,” the source says.

The article and translation by Rusrep website.