First round of Georgian-Russian talks held

First round of direct Georgian-Russian consultations took place, Georgian Prime Minister's Special Representative on Russian-Georgian relations Zurab Abashidze said after the meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigory Karasin.

The meeting was held in Geneva. This is the first meeting between the officials of Georgia and Russia after the Russian-Georgian war of 2008.

"The meeting had a business nature. Note that it was the first such meeting between officials of the two countries held on behalf of the Prime Minister of Georgia and the Russian president," Abashidze said in an interview with Georgian journalists.

The Special Representative said the parties noted the deadlock in the bilateral relations, and called for a way out of this deadlock. "Primarily we have identified a number of issues on which we will begin negotiations - trade, humanitarian and cultural relations, restoring regular air flights," he stressed.

Abashidze said that agreement to continue negotiations on a permanent basis is reached.


/Trend/