Georgia-Russia envoys meet in Prague
Tweet 
Share
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.
A Kremlin proposed new treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ between Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia and Russia will not be reconsidered,Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister GrigoryKarasinsaid after bilateral talks led by Georgian PM’s special envoy for relations with Russiain Prague today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would be happy to host a Georgian Government delegation if they visited his nation.
Forging and strengthening international contacts is the best force against the so-called ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty signed between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia, says the Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze.
A Russian high official believes the process to normalise relations between Georgia and Russia is continuing as normal, despite Georgia and much of the international community condemning Russia’s deal with Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region.
Exports and shipping will increase to Russia, says diplomats
Georgia’s Special Representative to Russia Zurab Abashidze met with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin in Prague, Czech Republic yesterday.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today that it is not holding any negotiations with Russia’s official state bodies over visa-related issues. As a reason the Georgian Ministry said that two countries have no diplomatic relations.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister said Moscow disliked the "increasing anti-Russian rhetoric in Tbilisi” and the Kremlin’s patience "has limits too”. Georgia's Prime Minister said Georgia’s territorial integrity was the only principle which normalized relations between Georgia and Russia could be built on.
Georgia’s Special Envoy to Russia Zurab Abashidze says the Russian government is working to simplify visas for Georgian citizens. He spoke this news after meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin in Prague, Czech Republic yesterday.
The Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia says that if it were not for the Abashidze-Karasin meeting format, visa-free travel to the European Union for Georgian citizens would have been much longer in the coming.
Georgian PM’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze, who held an online meeting with former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin yesterday, said unlike the Russian FM’s statement, the anti-Russia protests of 2019 were not mentioned during their conversation.