In Geneva, consultations held with Georgia on Russia's accession to WTO with participation of customs experts

On July 8 and 9 Geneva hosted another round of consultations between Russia and Georgia on the former's accession to the WTO. According to Nino Kalandadze, Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, customs experts took part in the meeting.

The Georgian party put forward the access of its observers to the customs checkpoints in Abkhazia and South Ossetia as the main precondition for WTO negotiations with Russia. At present, Russia and Georgia are seeking for compromise ways of Russia's accession to the WTO, under which it may be possible to avoid the presence of Georgian customs officers in the above republics, but at the same time to take into account the Georgia's interest in obtaining information about their trade turnover.

At Geneva meetings the Georgian party was represented by Tamar Kovziradze, an adviser to the Georgian Prime Minister, and Sergi Kapanadze, Deputy Foreign Minister. The Russian party was headed by Maxim Medvedkov, the head of the Russia's negotiating delegation and Head of Trade Negotiations Department of the Ministry of Economic Development.

"I'll refrain from divulging the details of negotiations, but I can state that they took place; and the next round has been planned for late July," said Ms Kalandadze without specifying the exact date, the "News-Georgia" reports.

Georgia and Russia began negotiating on Russia's accession of Russia to the WTO in March this year. In order not to interfere with the negotiations and not to escalate the situation between the countries, which have no diplomatic relations, the parties agreed not to disclose the details of the talks, the "GHN" reports.