A man burns a Soviet flag during a protest at the Russian embassy in Tbilisi April 25, 2008.
Photo: Reuters
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Georgia Halts WTO Negotiations with Russia
Georgia has halted negotiations on Russia’s admission to the WTO until Moscow abandons its support of unrecognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s Deputy Economic Development Minister Tamar Kovziridze announced Tuesday. Kovziridze heads Georgia’s negotiators at the WTO talks.
It is our new standing taken in view of new circumstances, Kovziridze told the Public TV of Georgia. Tbilisi recalled its signature under the WTO bilateral protocol with Russia in 2007, conditioning it to legalization of the checkpoints at Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s sections of Russia-Georgia’s border.
The latest move of Georgia could be viewed as response to Russia’s withdrawal from the CIS agreement on imposing sanctions on Abkhazia. What’s more, President Vladimir Putin committed the government to shape actions to render definite aid to the nations of unrecognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi rebuffed by demanding from Russia to reconsider those decisions and sought the support of western partners.
Earlier, Russia’s top negotiator Maxim Medvedkov declared that Russia has the chance to complete all bilateral and multilateral negotiations by mid-summer and join the WTO by this year-end.
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