Tbilisi, Moscow Fail to Agree on Russia’s WTO Accession

Tbilisi and Moscow failed to find a common position on Russia’s accession in the World Trade Organization during talks in Geneva, RIA Novosti news agency reported on March 23.

Georgia will support Russia’s WTO membership only if Moscow helps Tbilisi restore control over the Roki Tunnel, which links Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia with the Russian Federation, as well as control over the Adleri-Leselidze border checkpoint with Russia – in breakaway Abkhazia – a move through which Tbilisi claims it will be able to curb smuggling. The Georgian side also demands that Russia intensifies the fight against falsified Georgian products – mainly wine and mineral waters – on the Russian market, as well as gives up the practice of unilaterally banning imports of the Georgian agricultural products. Georgia also wants Russia to let import of wine and spirits through Zemo Larsi border checkpoint.

“We have not brought our positions closer… From those four issues put forth by the Georgian side, only one – and we can agree over this issue – is directly linked to our [Russia’s] future commitments under the WTO,” Maksim Medvedkov, Russian chief negotiator from the Economy Development Ministry, told RIA Novosti after talks. He was referring to the issue related with fight against falsified Georgian products on the Russian market.

“Unfortunately there is no solution yet… Those arguments put forth by the Russian delegation are not convincing for us. That is why we have no progress,” Tamar Kovziridze, Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia said.

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