Georgia not to cut trade ties with Russia
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Georgia is not planning to cut trade relations with Russia, said a high-ranking Georgian official on January 30.
"We are not going to cut trade or dialogue with Russia, as tens of thousands of people, including peasants, farmers, entrepreneurs, businessmen and private sector representatives benefit from these relations. We cannot stop these relations and the dialogue will continue," said Otar Danelia, Georgian Agriculture Minister.
Tamar Beruchashvili, Foreign Minister, has earlier announced that Georgia could temporarily stop the dialogue with Russia, since the northern giant's market is very unpredictable and Russia may at any time reimpose an embargo on Georgian goods.
The relations between Georgia and Russia have pushed all limits when Georgian troops launched military operations to retake the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions on August 8, 2008. Russian armed forces entered the regions to stop the military attacks by Georgian troops. After four days of tense fighting, Georgian forces were expelled from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia carried out massive air strikes on the military and logistical targets inside Georgia, particularly in Gori city.
Both sides agreed to a ceasefire on August 12. Tbilisi immediately cut all diplomatic ties with Russia just a while after the bloody skirmish. Russia signed a partnership treaty with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which has again soured the newly relenting political relations with Georgia.
The two sides are now holding talks on the level of special representatives - Zurab Abashidze from Georgia and Grigori Karasin from Russia.
The two neighboring countries have achieved some advancement in terms of economy and trade since 2006, when Moscow lifted embargos on the Georgia-made products. Even the resumption of direct flights between the two sides is on the agenda.
Nonetheless, the political exchange of the countries is in a deadlock, given the unresolved dispute over breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia. The Georgian leadership unequivocally excludes any compromise in regard to the regions occupied by Russia. Moscow, in turn, has recently signed an agreement on alliance and partnership with Abkhazia region and developed the same document for South Ossetia. Despite the calls from Georgia and international community, Russia is not eager to withdraw from the separatist regions, expanding the bilateral ties instead.
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