Russia, Georgia Resume WTO Talks

Officials from Russia and Georgia resume talks in Geneva on October 19 to negotiate the terms of Russian entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Tbilisi is demanding that Russia legalize trade at two border crossing points – one in breakaway South Ossetia (Roki Tunnel) and another in breakaway Abkhazia (Gantiadi) – as a precondition for supporting Russia?s WTO accession. Moscow, however, claims the demand is political and should be beyond the scope of WTO talks.

Tamar Kovziridze, the deputy economy minister, is representing the Georgian side at the talks and Russia is represented by its chief negotiator on the issue, Maksim Medvedkov.

The last round of talks was held in Tbilisi in May. The Russian negotiators, however, have failed to convince their Georgian counterparts to soften their stance.

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