Georgia withdraws from agreement on cooperation on protecting consumers' rights with CIS countries

On March 9, Mikhail Saakashvili signed decrees, according to which Georgia quits several agreements concluded within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The annulled documents include the agreement of CIS countries on protection of consumers' rights.

The process of Georgia's withdrawal from the CIS was initiated by the Georgian government on August 12, 2008, after the conflict with Russia in August 2008. On January 22, Georgia completed the process of its withdrawal out of the CIS, but remained a member of dozens of international agreements concluded within the CIS format.

The decree published on the website of the "Legislative Bulletin" of Georgia reads: "To stop in relation to Georgia the validity of the document of January 25, 2000, named 'The Agreement on Main Cooperation Directions of the CIS in the Sphere of Consumers' Protection'."

Besides, Mr Saakashvili has signed a decree of termination in respect of Georgia of the provisional protocol of the CIS of April 15, 1994, "On the Mechanism of Implementing the 'Agreement on Common Conditions and Mechanism to Support the Development of Production Cooperation between Enterprises and Branches of CIS Member-States'", the "News-Georgia" reports.

According to the presidential decree, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia shall inform the CIS member-states about termination of the above documents, the RBC reports.