Russia will not give up recognition of South Ossetian and Abkhaz independence

Russia will never give up recognition of Abkhaz and South Ossetian independence in order to join the World Trade Organization, Russian Presidential Advisor Arkady Dvorkovich said, RIA Novosti reports.

Russia hopes to join the WTO by the end of 2011 and has reached a deal with all EU states. Georgia is the only state not to grant permission. The WTO has 153 members and requires a unanimous vote for new members.

Georgia would only allow Russia to join the WTO in exchange for permission to send international observers to the borders.

Georgia is the only state standing between Russia and the WTO. All EU states have permitted Russia to join. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday that Georgia is not an obstacle to joining the WTO. The minister said on October 21 that Moscow approves Swiss proposals on WTO membership for Russia and Georgia