Georgian Ex-Leader Faults Decline in Ties to Russia

"I did not arrange concerts during my presidency," he said, referring to Saakashvili's mention last week of having brought in Western rock bands to promote goodwill in the breakaway territory. "However, we would go, we used to visit Abkhazia, visit Ossetia, and meet people there -- and we were building that relationship."

But critics say that while separatist tensions in those regions began during the Soviet era, Shevardnadze did not stand up to Russia strongly enough in negotiations over their status.

"The Russians pushed him in a corner and practically took these territories from him; he had no power to stop them," said Alexander Rondeli, president of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank here.

Matthew Bryza, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, noted that when Shevardnadze took over, Georgia was embroiled in multiple civil wars.

"He accepted settlement terms in Abkhazia and South Ossetia that were highly disadvantageous to Georgia and advantageous to Russia, setting up deeply flawed conflict-resolution mechanisms," Bryza said. "But Georgia was under duress at the time, and then-President Shevardnadze may have had no real alternative."

For his part, Shevardnadze said he successfully negotiated the return of tens of thousands of displaced Georgians to Abkhazia with Russia's then-president, Vladimir Putin. He added that Putin had not seemed bothered when the United States began training Georgia's military.

Shevardnadze said that he is proud of maintaining good relations with both sides and that the current Georgian administration had made a mistake in letting its ties with Russia turn sour.

"These threads that connected us with the United States and also with Russia, these threads should not be cut," he said. "We have lost much due to this."

Like most Georgians, regardless of their political views, Shevardnadze bristled at recent calls by Russia's leadership for the overthrow of the man who overthrew him. "Would you tolerate it that Canada or another country will call for the resignation of Bush?" he asked. "The goal of Russia is to restore the influence that it had during the Soviet period and during the empire, period."

But Shevardnadze said he sees no role for himself in current affairs. "I am a retired person," he said. "I write books."