Talks over railway link heat-up

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says in the case Tbilisi and Sokhumi agree on the restoration of the Russian-Georgian railway link via Abkhazia, Russia is ready to join the negotiations.

“Armenia is very interested in it for obvious reasons. We will be ready to support the restoration of this traffic, but first and foremost, Sukhumi and Tbilisi should agree to terms… Considering the fact that according to interstate agreements, RZhD [Russian Railway] participates in the operation of the Abkhaz section of the railway, the Russian side is in principle ready for such consultations, but the main decisions should be made by the immediate participants of the process – first of all, Georgia and Abkhazia,” Lavrov said, speaking at a joint press conference with Abkhazia’s de-facto foreign minister Viacheslav Chirikba in Moscow.

Lavrov also spoke about the enforcement of the Georgia-Russia agreement on monitoring trade and cargo traffic between the two countries, and said the treaty does not cover the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as these regions Russian believes represent independent states.

“This agreement does not infringe on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as new independent states, and it does not entail any obligations on Sukhumi or Tskhinvali either,” Lavrov said. He added that a neutral Swiss company has been picked-up to monitor customs and trade between Russia and Georgia.

The agreement was mediated by the Swiss side and signed in 2011 between Georgia and Russia. According to the deal, a neutral company has to be assigned to carry out the monitoring of cargo through three trade corridors between the countries. Two out of the three corridors run through the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia’s Chief Diplomat on Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze, has refrained from commenting on Lavrov’s statements.

“We will discuss the issues and define our position afterwards. I do not think there is anything urgent about the issue,” Abashidze said on March 12, after he was asked to comment on Lavrov’s statement about the agreement on trade monitoring.

According to Abashidze, no open or closed negotiations have started regarding the restoration of the Georgia-Russian railway link.