Moscow’s first reaction to PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s announcement about appointing Georgia’s former ambassador to Russia Zurab Abashidze as special envoy for relations with Russia was to say that Abashidze is a familiar face for many people in Russia’s foreign policy circles.

“The only thing that I can say is that we know very well Zurab Abashidze as Georgia’s former ambassador to Russia and as experienced person and diplomat; we have met him for multiple times, including in recent years,” RIA Novosti news agency reported quoting Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.

Zurab Abashidze was Georgia’s ambassador to Russia in 2000-2004; in 1990s Abashidze was ambassador to NATO and the EU.

After the August, 2008 war Abashidze was involved at least four times in informal diplomacy with Russia, when he joined a Georgian Orthodox Church delegation, which visited Russia in November and December, 2008, as well as in February and June, 2009.