Ariel Cohen: United States wants Georgia's consent for Russia's WTO membership

U.S. experts believe Georgia has greatly served the United States by participating in the international peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, Ariel Cohen, a leading expert of the Heritage Foundation for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy, said in an interview with the Rustavi-2 Television Company.

Cohen said Georgia and the United States have bilateral interests. Thus, the agenda of the talks between Saakashvili and Biden included vital issues for both countries.

He made the statement while commenting on Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

"The United States wants Georgia's consent in terms of Russia's accession to the WTO. This is the main part of the reset policy," he said. "Georgia is waiting for the United States' greater involvement in security issues," Cohen said.

Russia has sought WTO membership since 1993.

Georgia left the talks on Russia's joining the WTO in late April 2008 to protest the Russian president’s order to lift economic sanctions against Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

There are presently no diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia. They were severed after the 2008 war and Moscow’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The WTO talks between Georgia and Russia resumed through Swiss mediation in March.
Georgia has made the legalization of customs checkpoints on the Abkhazian and South Ossetian de facto borders the main issue of the WTO talks.

Tbilisi insists on Georgian customs officers being present at the checkpoints between Russia and Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are de jure Georgian territory.

A compromise variant would be involving international observers.

Cohen believes Washington greatly benefits from the Georgian contingent’s participation in Afghanistan.

"While major U.S. allies withdraw their troops from the region, the Georgian troops remain in place," Cohen stressed.

Saakashvili and Biden met in Rome on June 1.

After the meeting, the White House issued a statement about the issues discussed at the meeting.

The statement says the talks focused on Georgia's security, democratic development, U.S. support for the country’s territorial integrity, Georgia's participation in mission in Afghanistan and negotiations regarding Russia's WTO membership.


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