GEORGIA: Russia asks for another day to consider a deal with former Soviet Georgia on its entry to the World Trade Organization according to a senior Georgian official

Record ID: 643563

  • Title: GEORGIA: Russia asks for another day to consider a deal with former Soviet Georgia on its entry to the World Trade Organization according to a senior Georgian official
  • Date: 1st November 2011
  • Summary: BATUMI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 31, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BLACK SEA PORT BATUMI
  • Embargoed: 16th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Georgia, Georgia
  • Country: Georgia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABDL7VVUTSXPUIFSU20M3ZXJ42
  • Story Text: Russia on Monday (October 31) asked for another day to consider a compromise deal with the former-Soviet republic of Georgia on its entry to the World Trade Organization, according to information from a senior Georgian official.
    Swiss mediators have been trying to hammer out a deal with Russia and Georgia that will pave the way for Russia's tortuous 18-year old path to membership of the WTO.
    Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili held five hours of talks with Swiss mediators on Monday.
    "The text of the Swiss proposal which was presented to us last week remains unchanged, so the Swiss and our positions coincide on all main issues and the Russian Federation requested some more time until tomorrow to provide their final response to the mediators' proposal," Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergi Kapanadze said.
    Georgia is the only one of the 153 WTO members blocking Russian entry. Like all WTO members, Georgia can effectively veto another country's accession. But Tbilisi also has something to gain from Russian accession because it could boost its exports of mineral water and wine, both of which were popular in Russia before their relationship soured.
    Entry will cement Russia's integration into the world economy two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, providing more global access to the world's top energy producer and its $1.9 trillion economy.
    Russia hopes for an agreement with Georgia before a Dec. 15 conference of the bloc's trade ministers in Geneva. Russian parliament's ratification would still be required and formal accession would be likely to go ahead next year, analysts say.
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