Georgia expects over one million tourists from Russia
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The Georgian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze has summed up his recent meeting with the State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Grigory Karasin.
The Abashidze-Karasin meeting was held in Prague three days ago and today Abashidze shared his comments about the meeting with the media.
The meeting touched upon Russian-Georgian commercial and transportation relations. The sides exchanged views on the implementation of the 2011 agreement on the mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of regional trade.
Abashidze said the Russian market has opened to Georgia exactly thanks to such format dialogues.
He said air and land transport links have been restored between Georgia and Russia and this has contributed to growing export and growing number of tourists.
Last year about one million tourists came to Georgia from Russia. This year we expect more tourists from Russia,” said Abashidze.
Furthermore, he stated that the dialogue helped solve certain problems between the two countries. As an example he mentioned the release of eight citizens of Georgia who were sentenced for espionage in Russia.
The Abashidze-Karasin meeting in Prague is the only format of direct dialogue between Georgia and Russia since the two countries cut off their diplomatic ties after the 2008 war. The format was launched in late 2012 and covers only humanitarian, trade and economic related issues. It does not touch upon politics. Political issues are mainly in focus of the IPRM meetings where international negotiators facilitate talks between Georgia, Russia and the de-facto leadership of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region - the two Georgian regions that are currently occupied by Russia.
The next meeting in Prague is scheduled for autumn.
The Georgian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze and the State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Grigory Karasin have met in Prague in what is the only format of direct Georgia-Russia dialogue.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a statement, saying that the recent reports about furthering the Administrative Boundary Line into the depths of Georgia in the Tskhinvali region is a provocation before the Russian and Georgian envoys meet in Prague today.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia has released a statement in connection with the recent illegal installation of a so-called border sign across the occupation line in the breakaway Tskhinvali region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has issued a statement expressing its "deep concern” over the illegal installation of a so-called border sign across the occupation line in the breakaway Tskhinvali region, in the area of Bershueti village, Gori district.
The Georgian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Relations with Russia says that the only aim of erecting new border signs along the ABL with breakaway Tskhinvali region is to force the Georgian side to start negotiations on the demarcation process.
Georgian Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigory Karasin have met in Prague in what is the only format of direct Georgia-Russia dialogue.
A contract signed on December 19 by Georgia and a Swiss company regarding the monitoring of cargo traffic between Georgia and Russia is only an agreement on the implementation of the Georgia-Russia 2011 deal, says Georgia’s Foreign Minister.
Moscow is ready for intensifying "practical cooperation” with Georgia in 2018 and hopes for an "adequate response” from Tbilisi, says State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigory Karasin.