Georgia’s position unchanged on Russia’s WTO integration
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Monday, November 26
The latest round of talks between Georgia and Russia regarding Russia’s integration into the World Trade Organization (WTO) got under way in Geneva on November 22.
The meeting was chaired by the WTO’s Accession Division Director, Arif Hussein.
The Ministry of Economic Development says Georgia’s position remains unchanged: Tbilisi is calling for the checkpoints at the Russian-Georgian border posts at Psou and the Roki Tunnel to be legalized, the Russian news agency Regnum reports.
The Adleri-Leselidze crossing point at Psou lies between Russia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia, while the Roki Tunnel is on the border between Russia and separatist South Ossetia.
The ministry says the WTO’s Accession Division is in favor of handling the problem within the framework of the organization, and is ready to coordinate negotiations in the future.
Under an agreement reached at a preliminary meeting on October 19 in Geneva, Tbilisi handed Moscow a draft outlining how it envisaged legalizing the customs checkpoints at Psou and the Roki Tunnel, the newspaper 24 Saati reports.
The general session of the WTO is scheduled for December 19. If Russia wants to petition for membership, it should conclude negotiations with Georgia now.
Georgia is the only WTO member state to oppose Russia’s joining the organization. Analysts have not ruled out the possibility of Ukraine’s becoming a member, which could create further obstacles to Russia’s joining.
According to 24 Saati, Ukraine will now get the chance to conduct negotiations with Moscow, when the key topics will be the export ban on metals and goods from Ukraine to Russia.
The meeting was chaired by the WTO’s Accession Division Director, Arif Hussein.
The Ministry of Economic Development says Georgia’s position remains unchanged: Tbilisi is calling for the checkpoints at the Russian-Georgian border posts at Psou and the Roki Tunnel to be legalized, the Russian news agency Regnum reports.
The Adleri-Leselidze crossing point at Psou lies between Russia and the breakaway region of Abkhazia, while the Roki Tunnel is on the border between Russia and separatist South Ossetia.
The ministry says the WTO’s Accession Division is in favor of handling the problem within the framework of the organization, and is ready to coordinate negotiations in the future.
Under an agreement reached at a preliminary meeting on October 19 in Geneva, Tbilisi handed Moscow a draft outlining how it envisaged legalizing the customs checkpoints at Psou and the Roki Tunnel, the newspaper 24 Saati reports.
The general session of the WTO is scheduled for December 19. If Russia wants to petition for membership, it should conclude negotiations with Georgia now.
Georgia is the only WTO member state to oppose Russia’s joining the organization. Analysts have not ruled out the possibility of Ukraine’s becoming a member, which could create further obstacles to Russia’s joining.
According to 24 Saati, Ukraine will now get the chance to conduct negotiations with Moscow, when the key topics will be the export ban on metals and goods from Ukraine to Russia.