Georgian FM dismisses information about opening customs checkpoints on occupied territories

Information about opening customs check points on the territories of two occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) is false, states Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Zalkaliani.

This is disinformation that is spread by Russian media and is supported by our opponents, opposition parties and former president of Georgia. Such discussion is categorically unacceptable, as it has nothing to do with reality”, said Zalkaliani.

Zalkaliani explained that Georgia and Russia signed the agreement "on the basic principles for a mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods” on 9 November 2011.

The 2011 deal provided for monitoring of cargo traffic between Georgia and Russia by a third party, Switzerland.

• More about the 2011 Georgia-Russia deal can be found here.

This agreement does not have any connection with establishing of any kind of customs terminals”, said Zalkaliani.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland released a statement which reads that under the aegis of Switzerland’s offices, the negotiations had been concluded and the conditions to implement the customs agreement signed by Georgia and Russia in 2011 are in place.

Switzerland will continue to play an active role in this new phase, by chairing a Joint Committee supervising the implementation of the agreement. On 6 February 2019, a first meeting of the Joint Committee will take place in Geneva, gathering Georgian, Russian and Swiss representatives.

The FDFA said that since the signing of the customs agreement in 2011, the FDFA has facilitated several rounds of discussions between Russia, Georgia and SGS.