Georgia-Russia plans talks about impacts of AA

Georgian and Russian Government representatives are set to meet in Prague next month to discuss the changed state of affairs following Georgia’s signing of the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU).

Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maia Panjikidze said the meeting was related to the AA, which Georgian signed on June 27.

She said a meeting had already been planned for July 7 in Prague between representatives of the Georgian and Russian Governments.

A few days ago Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was ready for consultations with Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, who signed the AA with the EU earlier this week.

In a statement on June 26, Lavrov said: "As soon as the AA comes come into force, we will analyse whether it adversely affects the CIS free trade zone [and if it does] Russia will take defensive steps on those conditions, on which we have joined the World Trade Organization.”

Minister Panjikidze said the consultation meeting would take place two days before special representatives of the Georgian Government Zurab Abashidze meets special envoy to the Russian Government Grigory Karasin on July 9.

"Experts will [discuss] the new regulations that are opening for Georgia and their coincidence with the free trade regime Georgia has with CIS countries,” Panjikidze told journalists.

Georgia signed the AA, which included the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement with the EU on June 27.