Sarkozy to visit Georgia to boost regional stability, peace

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is scheduled to visit Georgia Friday and deliver a public address, Georgian authorities said. In his public speech in central Tbilisi, Sarkozy is expected to urge Georgia to improve relations with neighboring Russia. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is to accompany him at the public speech. It will be Sarkozy's third visit to Georgia. The French president traveled to the Caucasus country in August and September of 2008 to help mediate a ceasefire between Georgia and Russia. Georgia is the last leg of Sarkozy's ongoing South Caucasus tour, which has taken him to Armenia and Azerbaijan. As in Armenia and Azerbaijan, where he appealed to the nations to mend their fences on their long-standing dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh territory, Sarkozy is expected to urge Saakashvili to rebuild trust with Russia by stepping over differences and disputes. Analysts said the issue of Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization is also likely to be discussed during the talks between the two presidents in Tbilisi. Sarkozy's South Caucasus trip on Thursday and Friday is being interpreted as an attempt to boost regional stability and peace and, by doing so, to brush up his image before the next presidential election in April.