Georgia-Russia envoys meet in Prague

Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin are set to meet in Prague today to discuss a trade agreement signed between Georgia and Russia in Geneva in 2011.

The Georgian side said the agreement needed to be implemented faster, as the results of the trade deal could have positive benefits for the country’s stagnant economy.

The Georgian and Russian governments signed a packet of documents on November 9, 2011 during negotiations that were mediated by Switzerland.

The agreement contained three documents; the first was a bilateral agreement concerning customs administrations and monitoring the flow of commodities, the second was a Memorandum of Understanding and the third determined regulations for private companies which would be granted monitoring rights by the Swiss government.

If we decide to follow this path and Russia agrees to it, we will manage to start implementation of the agreement in the nearest future,” said Abashidze before the meeting.

We aim to solve organisational issues as soon as possible in order for our Government representatives to meet in Switzerland, sign contracts with a Swiss company, create a joint committee and fully implement the agreement. I hope we will agree on the organisational details in Prague,” he said.

Abashidze noted the Swiss side had been provided with all necessary information regarding the issue.

As for possible problems in terms of implementing the agreement, Abashidze emphasized it took "quite a long time” to prepare contracts to be signed with the chosen Swiss company.

The first Abashidze-Karasin meeting took place in 2012, in Geneva. The so-called Abashidze-Karasin talks are limited in scope to economic and other practical issues.