Russia to meet its cargo deal obligations
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, June 13
The Government of Georgia and the country’s Envoy to Russia,Zurab Abashidze, have called on Russia to fulfill its obligations taken through the 2011 customs administration and trade monitoring deal with Georgia.
Abashidze claims Georgia is now waiting for Russia’s step to list the contract agreement and sign a relevant deal with a neutral company over the signed agreement, as Georgia and Russia have no diplomatic relations following the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Abashidze also condemned Russia’s attempt to display Georgia’s breakaway regions as independent countries within the agreement.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stressed that the main objective and goal of the agreement is the monitoring of trade between Georgia and the Russian Federation.
“After signing the agreement, by means of assistance of Switzerland, important steps were taken to using the document in practice.
“In particular, a neutral company was found to conduct customs monitoring between Georgia and Russia. Due to Georgia’s constructive manner the relevant text was agreed with the company, several legal documents were also determined in order to promote the process implementation. Location of possible terminals has also been determined. A year ago, Georgia completed all preliminary procedures for signing the contract with the neutral company and execution of the agreement,” the Ministry reported.
The Ministry says the comments made by Russia’s Foreign Ministry “deliberately brings the process into deadlock”.
“In particular, Russia tries to show the breakaway Tskhinvali region as a participant of the agreement that is against the goal and principles of the agreement. Such an interpretation of the agreement signed in 2011 is unacceptable for the Georgian side and Moscow knew it from the very beginning,” the Ministry reports.
Russia welcomed the statement made by de facto South Ossetian ‘President’ Anatoly Bibilovon on cargo transit via the breakaway territory.
