Russia says WTO talks with Georgia are 'constructive'

Russia says WTO talks with Georgia are 'constructive'

2011-03-16 05:00:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said Tuesday that the first round of talks with Georgia on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization was "constructive," RIA Novosti reported.

"Russia is not only ready, Russia is continuing the talks," Karasin told journalists, adding that the next round has been scheduled for a later time.

The talks resumed last Thursday in Switzerland after being suspended for almost three years. The diplomatic relations between both countries were severely damaged in August 2008 when Moscow recognized the independence of two former Georgian republics following a five-day war, which started when Georgia attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

Russia is the only major economy still outside the WTO. The European Union gave its backing to the country's entry bid in December after Russia agreed to trim timber export duties and rail freight tariffs. However, Georgia says it will not allow Russia to join the WTO unless it cedes control of customs in the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Last week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said during a meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who was on an official visit to Russia, that he hopes Russia would finish the accession to the WTO in 2011 with the help of the United States.

The U.S. vice president said the WTO accession for Russia is "the most important item on our agenda.â€

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