Last Tuesday Russian and Georgian diplomats finally found a compromise settlement that eliminated the final barrier hampering Russia’s membership of the World trade Organization (WTO). The negotiations, which had lasted for 10 years, ended in a compromise that allowed both sides to save face. However, both sides had to give up some of their principle positions: Georgia couldn’t assure the presence of its customs officials or even of EU observers on the borders between South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia (they will be monitored by a private organization contracted by the mediator – Switzerland). Nevertheless, the fact that Russia agreed to external monitoring of the borders that slipped from Tbilisi’s control back in 1992 and are considered by Russia as borders of two new sovereign states, is by itself a great achievement for Georgia.
On the other hand, the agreement doesn’t explicitly name the states between which the ‘trading corridors’ are being established. The document only mentions that the corridors go through border checkpoints in Psoy (and this checkpoint is de-facto situated on the border between Abkhazia and Russia) and Roka (on the border between South Ossetia and Russia). In reality this ‘omission’ of the state names by the document plays into both parties’ hands.
Independent expert Georgiy Khukhashvili gave VK an interview on this topic.
- What will the consequences of Russia’s entrance to WTO be for Russian-Georgian relations?
- It’s hard to tell just yet. You know that WTO membership isn’t the only point of discord between Russia and Georgia. But of course it is a step forward. However, there’s still a lot of work ahead to fully restore economic relations between the two countries.
- How would you characterize this compromise?
- I believe Georgia had to make much greater concessions here than Russia. This present solution – I mean the digital exchange of information - has been proposed by Russia quite a while ago. And this mediatory company is slotted in just to save face, it doesn’t give any principle advantages for Georgia as compared to the proposal that Moscow made a year ago.
- Is it possible for Georgian goods to return to the Russian market now?
- Everything is possible, but I don’t think that these two issues – WTO and Georgian products’ return to Russian market - are directly connected. Russia still has a lot of possibilities to maintain the embargo without breaking WTO rules. Those who say that Russia’s entrance to the WTO will automatically re-open the Russian market for Georgian goods either don’t understand anything or are deliberately trying to mislead people.
Interview by Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi, exclusively to VK
