Georgia does not see Association Agreement with EU as an obstacle to trade ties with Russia - Tbilisi official
TBILISI. June 24 (Interfax) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and the Georgian prime minister's special envoy for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze agreed during their telephone conversation on Monday that Georgian and Russian experts would hold trade and economic consultations ahead of the sides' meeting, due to take place in Prague at the beginning of July.
"They [experts] will analyze the work that has been accomplished over the past 18 months, after our bilateral dialogue with Russia was launched, as well as will discuss further prospects," Abashidze told reporters.
The two countries' experts will also discuss Georgia's Association and Free Trade Area Agreement with the European Union, due to be signed in Brussels on June 27, the Georgian official said.
"We [Georgia] by no means think that such an agreement is able to somehow hamper our trade relations with Russia and other neighbors," he said.
European officials have wholeheartedly supported plans to hold a meeting of Russian and Georgian meetings before the Association Agreement is signed, he said.
"My meeting [with Karasin] will take place after the signing of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU. We would like to know what Russia thinks of this Association Agreement and how it plans to continue the process of trade and economic relations between our countries," Abashidze said.
"Evidently, we will not be able to avoid discussing these issues, but they will be addressed in a more detailed and profound manner at the experts' meeting," he said.
