Zurab Abashidze about the meeting with Grigory Karasin

The Georgian prime minister’s special representative for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Grigory Karasin, will discuss the development of Georgian-Russian trade and economic relations in Prague on February 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Tamar Beruchashvili said. 

She stressed the importance of continuing the dialogue in this format, and noted that the meeting "will take place after a certain pause." The format of the Abashidze-Karasin meeting is the first direct dialogue of the officials of two countries after 2008. The first meeting was held in December 2012 in the suburbs of Geneva, seven meetings were held in 2013-2014 in Prague to discuss issues of trade and economic, humanitarian and cultural cooperation and other topics, TASS reminds. 

The special representative of Georgian Prime Minister for Relations with the Russian Federation said that on February 17 in the Czech capital "a number of important issues that have accumulated in Georgian-Russian relations will be discussed." "These are issues that require discussion and settlement," he said, stressing that the dialogue in this format will be continued, "no matter how complex the relationship between the two countries is." 

Zurab Abashidze said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza that in Prague trade-economic, transport and humanitarian issues will primarily be discussed. "We have our own specific issues that were discussed and amounted to the agenda since 2013. Trade-economic, transport cases, some humanitarian questions," the special representative of the Georgian Prime Minister said. 

The main issue of the meeting, according to Abashidze, will be Russian-Georgian agreement on the participation of the Swiss company SGS in the registration of custom goods at the border. "At this time, probably, an agreement that was signed between Georgia and Russia in 2011 will be the one of the central topics. This agreement was formalized after Russia joined the World Trade Organization. It provides for the participation of the Swiss company in the administration of customs cargo and exchange of information," he said. 

"This agreement has been signed, and the texts of the contract to be signed between the Georgian side and the Swiss company, and between the Russian side and the same company, are already prepared. We will discuss this topic and, if all goes well, we will begin implementation of the agreement," Zurab Abashidze said.