Karasin-Abashidze Meeting After 4-Month-Pause

• 02.27.2015, 16:18
•  Region,  World

On February 26 in Prague Georgian PM’s special representative Zurab Abashidze and Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin held a meeting.

After the meeting Karasin stressed the importance of further dialogue between Russia and Georgia.

"The meeting was fruitful although it was held in a tense mood. This tension stems from the nervousness created by the opposition forces that are trying to put into question the normalization of relations between Moscow and the Georgian government." Karasin told TASS.

He mentioned that there were many questions on the agenda but not all of them were discussed in detail.

"Particularly the meeting included trade relations, restoration of transport infrastructures, regular passenger services on the ground and in the air. We raised the problems of collaboration between the Georgian and Russian customs services and law enforcement agencies in struggle with terrorism and drugs trafficking," Karasin said.

Karasin also added that lifting of visa requirements for the Georgian citizens is not likely until restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were severed after the August, 2008 war.

According to the Georgian PM’s special representative Zurab Abashidze one of the key issues discussed at this meeting was implementation of 2011 agreement on monitoring of trade between the two countries. The agreement envisages, among other issues, hiring of “neutral private company” to carry out monitoring of cargo movement through three “trade corridors” two of which run in the breakaway regions and the third one on the Zemo Larsi-Kazbegi border crossing point on the undisputed section of Georgia-Russia border.

During the meeting the sides discussed also another significant issue – the problem of restoration of railway between Georgia and Russia via Abkhazia. According to the Russian representative the issue was touched upon during the meeting, but no detailed discussion took place, because it is “impossible without participation of the Abkhazian side”.

Abashidze noticed that “there was nothing new” concerning the railway issue.  “We know their position that if the Georgian side is interested in restoration of this section of the railway, we should reach out the Abkhazian side and negotiate with them. They have expressed such position previously too. Our response has always been that this is a railway linking Georgia and Russia and we are not going to talk about it with Abkhazians,” Abashidze said.

To sum up the results of the meeting it is important to mention that the fact of the meeting itself is significant, because there was a 4-month-pause in this format. The meeting gives basis to believe that there is a possibility of progress in Russian-Georgian relationship, and this year we can expect more active steps by the sides.