Georgia and Switzerland discuss Russia’s WTO membership

Georgia and Switzerland have discussed Russian membership of the WTO
at a meeting at the Georgian Foreign Ministry. They discussed the next
round of talks on WTO planned for September, Georgia Online reports.

Georgia was represented by Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, his
deputy Sergi Kapanadze, head of the prime ministers advisor group
Tamara Kovziridze, director of the CIS department of the Georgian
Foreign Ministry Georgi Karalashvili and others.

Switzerland was represented by Secretary of the Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs Peter Maurer, head of the department’s office Heidi
Grau, Swiss Ambassador to the WTO with residence in Geneva Lucius
Vasesh and Swiss Ambassador to Georgia Gunther Vekhler.
Switzerland is a mediator in the Russian-Georgian talks.

Russia reopened talks on WTO membership in March 2011. Georgia demands
legalization of customs offices on the borders with Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.