The Georgian government has proposed to Russia to “resume as soon as possible bilateral talks on Russia’s admission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO),” it is said in a joint statement of the Georgian Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Economic Development made public on Tuesday, Itar-Tass reports.
“Georgia is interested in Russia’s WTO entry, which will mean bringing the Russian trade policy in compliance with generally recognized international norms and standards,” it is said in the document. “The Georgian government still considers the main and principal condition of its consent for Russia’s admission to the WTO the fulfillment by the Russian side of the reached in 2004 agreements on legalization of customs checkpoints on the Abkhazian and South Ossetian sections of the Georgian-Russian border. Georgia will back Russia’s WTO entry only on the condition of the fulfillment of these agreements,” the document says.
It is pointed out in the statement that “in the event of non-completion of these Georgian-Russian bilateral talks and without Georgia’s consent for multilateral talks on Russia’s WTO entry the process of Russia’s admission to this organization will be suspended.”
On Monday, Georgian State Minister for Economic and Structural Reform Kakha Bendukidze said, “In view of Russia’s non- fulfillment of the 2004 agreements on trade with Georgia through legal checkpoints and legalization of customs checkpoints on the Abkhazian and South Ossetian sections of the state border Georgia cannot so far give consent for Russia’ s admission to the WTO.” The point at issue is placing of Georgian customs officers at these checkpoints.